Contraception

Abstinence

Alsosexual abstinencecelibacycontinuous abstinenceabstainingabstinent

Not yet reviewed by a clinician. This health entry was written from the public-health sources listed below and is general information only. It is not medical advice.

Definition

Abstinence means choosing not to have sex, or particular kinds of sex, for a period of time, for personal, health, religious or other reasons.

At a glance

  • Abstinence means choosing not to have sex, or certain kinds of sex, for a period of time.
  • Reasons can be personal, health-related, religious or something else.
  • Continuous abstinence from vaginal sex fully prevents pregnancy while it is maintained.
  • What counts as abstinence varies, so clarity with partners helps.
  • Research suggests abstinence-only education does not reliably delay sex.

In detail

As contraception, continuous abstinence from vaginal sex is fully effective at preventing pregnancy for as long as it is maintained. What people mean by abstinence varies a lot, so being clear with partners about which activities are included helps avoid misunderstandings.

Research on abstinence-only education suggests it does not reliably delay sex, and people who later have sex may be less prepared. Many public health bodies therefore recommend including information about contraception and safer sex alongside respect for the choice to wait.

In a sentence

  • She chose abstinence for a while to focus on herself.
  • When we talked about abstinence, we realised we each meant something slightly different.

Where the word comes from

From the Latin "abstinere", to hold back or keep away.

Not to be confused with

  • Asexual

    Asexuality is an orientation describing little or no sexual attraction; abstinence is a choice about behaviour.

Common questions

Is abstinence effective contraception?

Continuous abstinence from vaginal sex is fully effective at preventing pregnancy for as long as it is maintained. Knowing about other methods helps if that choice changes.

What is abstinence-only education?

It is sex education that teaches only abstinence. Research suggests it does not reliably delay sex, so many public health bodies recommend including contraception and safer-sex information alongside respect for the choice to wait.

Related terms

Sources

  1. Planned ParenthoodAbstinence and Outercourse