How does having premarital mean you don't have self-respect?

So, i live in a small, Christian community, and people freak out when they find out I don't wear a purity ring. I understand if the only reason you have before marriage is because someones pressuring you, or you're just putting yourself out there for everybody, then that is having no self-respect. But I don't understand, how if you feel like you'd like to have and you feel like the person you're going to have with is trustworthy, caring, then why not?