Many people have discussed the importance of sexual purity from a clinical point of view. They throw out statistics of teen pregnancies, STDs, annual abortions and other medical data. Certainly there are natural consequences that can happen as a result of sexual immorality. And yes, they can be useful in deterring sexual sins. But it is likely that the most devastating affects are internal rather than external. These kinds of consequences can change a woman, leaving painful and damaging scars that only the cross of Jesus can erase.
When a woman gives herself to a man, something happens. A part of her soul bonds with him, causing the two to become one. This does not happen during the marriage vows, but rather during the sexual union between a man and a woman. God designed it that way. When this union takes place within a covenant marriage, it is a beautiful thing. Both the husband and the wife experience mutual trust and fulfillment. But when this union takes place outside of the boundaries of a covenant marriage, emotional, mental and spiritual damage often occur.
In an illicit relationship, there is no true, God-ordained commitment. Therefore, there is no real security. When that kind of relationship falls apart, the woman often ends up the bigger loser. She cannot escape the connection without disconnecting a part of herself. For a woman who has experienced this kind of loss multiple times, she eventually loses herself. This is not how God intended women to live their lives.
For this reason, a woman should protect her purity at all costs. The commitment to purity is not just to escape an unwanted pregnancy or an STD. It's to keep a woman's heart safe. It's to keep her mind and spirit intact. Pure thoughts and actions won't grieve the Holy Spirit and will ensure that a woman maintains a close and interactive relationship with Jesus Christ. Her connection with God should be her lifeline, and the source of all the true love and security that she needs.