Abstinence Education by John Schmidt

Abstinence Education

You may have heard the word abstinence before, but may not know what it means. The word abstinence is used when a person voluntarily stops doing something. There are a number of things that a person can abstain from; someone can practice abstinence when it comes to drinking alcohol, using illegal drugs, smoking, or eating unhealthy foods. An individual can make the choice to stop doing each of those things. Today, the word abstinence is commonly related to the subject of sexual activity. If a person is practicing abstinence, it means that he or she does not participate in sexual activity. There are several reasons why some teenagers decide to practice abstinence.

First, the religious beliefs held by some teenagers teach that sexual activity should take place only after marriage. Teenagers with these firm religious beliefs don’t have to make the decision of whether to have sex before they are married. These teens go out on dates, establish relationships, and fall in love while remaining abstinent. Anyone who enters into a relationship with a teen who holds these religious beliefs should respect the person’s choice to abstain from sexual activity. 

Some teenagers choose abstinence because they are concerned about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). HIV and herpes are two examples of STDs. Some teenagers don’t feel it’s worth it to take the risk of getting an STD that they may have to live with for years to come. In addition, some STDs have painful symptoms. A teenager who practices abstinence doesn’t have to worry about the risks of STDs, because he or she doesn’t participate in sexual activity.

Another reason that some teenagers practice abstinence is that they don’t feel ready to participate in sexual activity. They may be going out with groups of friends to the movies, the mall, and other places, but they don’t go on traditional dates. The decision to have sex is a very significant one. A teenager who doesn’t feel ready should never have sex because of pressure from others. Some teenagers are content to pal around with friends and simply aren’t ready to begin one on one dating. Furthermore, a teenager who isn’t interested in dating or having a relationship shouldn’t feel weird about it. There is no rule that says all teenagers need to begin dating at a particular time or enter into a relationship with someone. 

Regardless of the reasons why a teenager is practicing complete abstinence, it’s the only way to avoid pregnancy and STDs 100% of the time. Abstinence is also a way for a teenager to avoid the emotional stress of getting into a relationship before he or she feels ready.

• Questions and Answers on the Topic of Abstinence
• The Meaning of Abstinence and Other Considerations
• Some Factors that Are Involved in the Abstinence Decision
• Facts about Abstinence (PDF)
• Information on Abstinence and What is Involved
• Questions to Ask When Considering Abstinence
• Reasons that Some People Choose Abstinence
• Answers to Questions about Abstinence
• Pros and Cons of Abstinence and More
• Considerations of the Choice to Abstain
• FAQs about Abstinence
• Learning about Abstinence (PDF)
• Plain Facts about Abstinence
• Details on Abstinence
• Questions to Consider When it Comes to Abstinence
• Information for Teenagers Concerning Abstinence
• Abstinence Information
• A Fact Sheet on Abstinence
• Simple Facts about Abstinence
• Reasons to Consider Abstinence
• A Detailed Explanation of Abstinence
• Learning Facts about Abstinence
• Answers about Practicing Abstinence
• Teens Learning the Facts about Abstinence
• Understanding Abstinence
• Tips on Abstinence
• A Look at the Topic of Abstinence
• Teens' Impressions of Abstinence and More
• Issues Surrounding Abstinence
• Abstinence and Related Topics

page last edited by John Schmidt

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