Is it better to stay without?Poznews Team traces the road of most resistance.

A considerable number of people around the world choose not to have sex because of a myriad of reasons. Referred to as abstinence or abstaining from sex, the practice isn’t only for virgins. Some are already sexually active, but choose to stop participating in sexual activities.

Abstinence is often mistaken for celibacy. Celibacy refers to abstaining from marriage and relationships, not only sex. If you are abstinent, you can engage in a relationship, but the relationship won’t include sexual interaction.

Abstinence is often viewed as a form of great self-control. It displays a strong character and steely will-power because those practising abstinence can ignore and control their urges and desires.

There are many possible reasons for abstaining from sex. Some adults have a dislike of sex (antisexualism) or they are simply not interested in it (asexuality).

 Those who abstain sometimes choose to use sex for reproductive purposes only, or else they opt for masturbation as an alternative. Religion and morality also plays a major role in making the decision to abstain.

Once upon a time

There is constant change in the acceptability of sexual behaviour, from the Victorian period, most recognisable for its chaste values, to the new Puritanism in the mid 1900s. Sexual freedom and indulgence was once again on the increase during World War I and after World War II.

With the invention of birth-control pills in the 1970s, sexual behaviour and social morals changed drastically. More and more individuals chose to have multiple sex partners before marriage and this became the norm. Prior to the 20th century, it was believed that abstaining leads to better health for men because they lose nutrients and vitality through seminal discharge. It was also believed that mental and physical diseases were caused by a loss of these nutrients.

So, why abstain?

Religion has always had a strong influence on the decision to be chaste. Many religions regard chastity as a virtue expected of faithful adherents, but different religions have different views on abstinence.

Christianity places emphasis on the fact that sexual intercourse should only take place within the context of marriage. Judaism also forbids intercourse outside marriage as well as during menstruation. In the Islam religion, marriage is strongly encouraged and sexual intercourse should only take place once married. They practice abstinence during the dawn to dusk fasts of Ramadan or other fasting days. Hinduism places great emphasis on how abstinence is a way of harnessing the energy of body and mind towards the goal of spiritual realisation.

If one chooses to abstain, there is no risk of pregnancy and a lesser risk of the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases or HIV. The arrival of AIDS has led to abstinence being viewed more as a favourable form of prevention.

Abstinence and AIDS

Across the globe, the burden of AIDS and the stigma surrounding it often falls on the shoulders of young people. Sex education plays a major role in the prevention of HIV. The efficacy, or impact, of the message on young people depends solely on the type of sex education these individuals are exposed to.

AIDS education is a crucial factor in determining the extent to which young people are at risk of contracting HIV. A lot of money goes towards abstinence education for the countries most affected by HIV, but evidence shows that the best way to avoid new HIV infections is not only through abstinence education. A comprehensive approach that promotes the importance of condoms proves to be more successful and long-lived.

According to AVERT, a leading UK-based HIV charity, “what works in terms of sex education for HIV prevention is a comprehensive approach that is sensitive to the needs and experiences of a particular group.”

“For unmarried, sexually active young people, abstinence messages are not effective, whereas promoting faithfulness to one partner, condom use and abstinence is effective,” says AVERT. “Abstinence messages work to some extent for younger sexually inactive people, but they need to have information about contraception and risk-reduction behaviour for when they decide to have sex.”

The opposite truth

Apart from protecting you from pregnancy, studies and researchers suggest that abstaining has no other benefits. When one abstains, there is still a risk of contracting countless viruses like Hepatitis and HIV through needles for drug usage or tattooing.

A study published in the British Medical Journal, in 1997, found that “men who reported the highest frequency of orgasm enjoyed a death rate half that of the laggards”. The report also noted that having sex frequently could improve one’s sense of smell, ensure better bladder control, result in weight loss, reduce depression in women, prevent colds and flu more often, increase fitness, reduce the risk of heart disease, relieve pain, and even help with better teeth and improved prostate function.

On a psychological level, not having sexual contact with a partner could repress your sexual instinct to such an extent that your aggression levels will sky-rocket. Societies that forbid sexual behaviour have shown higher rates of crime and violence than those who don’t prohibit it.

Many abstinence education programmes are said to be heading in the wrong direction, and are often misleading. There is some confusion around abstinence regarding oral sex and other sexual activity (without penetration).

The effectiveness of abstinence programmes remains to be a big topic for debate. Research shows that abstinence-based approaches have different outcomes. Even though it is beneficial for them in the short term, it places young adults at greater risk later in their lives.

Brian de Vries, editor of the National Sexuality Resource Centre’s Sexuality Research and Social Policy in the US, says “we want people to know that abstinence-only education doesn’t work. Sex-educators know. Teens know. Parents know. And the research shows it. When will our policies and interventions reflect what science, research and practise demonstrate? We need comprehensive sexual education that is truly comprehensive.”

Abstinence programmes have been found to violate the rights of young people by not allowing them to make their own decisions about their health and by providing inaccurate information, such as saying that condoms are ineffective against protection from HIV. Teaching abstinence has lead to an increase in contraceptive use amongst teens and it is possible that it created a misconception about sexuality.

Purity rings

Purity rings (also known as chastity or abstinence rings) originated in the US in the 1990s among Christian groups who supported abstinence. The ring represents a vow to abstain from sex until marriage.

Today, it is a symbol worn by many teens and young adults. The real origin of these rings go way back to the time when women became nuns and the ring symbolised marriage to Christ. It did not have an expiration date like the purity rings today.

              “Abstinence is often viewed as a form of great self-control. It displays a strong character and steely will-power because those practising abstinence can ignore and control their urges and desires.”

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