8 Pros and Cons of Abstinence

By definition, abstinence is the practice of restricting yourself from doing something, such as having sex or drinking alcohol, which is often observed for health or religious reasons. For the type of abstinence that we are going to discuss in this article, it is about not having sex, while there are good things that will happen from this practice, there are also drawbacks that come with it. Here are the pros and cons of abstinence:

List of Pros of Abstinence

1. It prevents sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
STIs are said to be the cause of the death of the “free love” era in the 1960s, and are still real threat today. While there are already preventive measures to avoid these illnesses, people are never completely safe from them, unless they choose to abstain from having sex. Even so, there is still a chance to get these infections from toilet seats, towels and natural fauna imbalances.

2. It lessens the number of distractions you have in life.
Naturally, if you practice abstinence, you will have lesser distractions in life, which is particularly true for people who have high sex drives, which will sometimes put them in a situation where they are unable to concentrate on their daily tasks. As you can see, having sex on a regular basis will actually cause your body to produce more sex hormones that will make you more sexually charged than if you did not have sex at all. Also, sexual relationships will bring about distractions, which mean that you will be able to focus more on other important things by not being in such a relationship. For example, some people practice abstinence as part of their religion to focus more on learning more about their beliefs and feeling closer to God.

3. It prevents any accidental pregnancies.
By staying away from having sex, you can also stay away from unwanted pregnancy. Again, similar to the issues with STIs, this is something that you can truly avoid by only practicing abstinence, as all known methods of contraception can fail sometimes. This time though, you cannot catch accidental pregnancies from toilet seats, etc.

4. It leads you away from having bad sexual experiences.
Having sex comes with the possibility that you would drop your guard in a way that can leave you very vulnerable psychologically and emotionally. For example, by allowing someone to get very close to you and to see naked, then you are opening yourself up to disappointment and even criticism. And if it is only for a one night stand, then such a situation can be very hurtful. There is always the possibility that you will find someone who does not find you attractive, which can hurt your ego. Moreover, you might also find yourself in a situation where you might be forced to do things that you are not comfortable doing, leading to an embarrassing situation.

List of Cons of Abstinence

1. It causes you to miss out on the experience.
Sex naturally feels good, and if you have not had such a feeling, then it could be that you have not met the right person to do it with or you are having a medical issue. By writing off sex completely, then you are missing out on one of the greatest sensations human beings are capable of experiencing. Aside from this, sex is an essential factor that will help you grow as a person. You will eventually find out that sex will change your perception of the world changes and the way you look at relationships. You will also have the experience can use to advice others who are having problems in this aspect. After all, without ever having sex, you do not have any authority to talk about the subject.

2. It would make for difficult relationships.
For people who abstain from sex, relationships can be very difficult for them. For one, it will be a big challenge for them to find someone who is also willing to be in a relationship while practicing abstinence. While you may be able to similar individuals in a religious group, they are limited in number, where it would be difficult to find a soul mate. At the same time, this type of relationship will be less intimate, as after all, sex is a good way for couples to feel closer to each other by joining themselves emotionally. And with a strong emotional bond, they will be able to get through difficult times in their relationships. On the other hand, the absence of such a bond would create a divide between partners.

3. It can cause you to lose motivation.
Abstinence allows people to relax, but it can also make them less motivated, especially when sex encourages them to get up in the morning to be able to meet someone, encourages them to look their best and encourages them to learn how to impress other people. According to philosophers, many of the greatest innovations and achievements could be attributed to people trying to impress the opposite sex.

4. It prevents you from having children.
Of course, with abstinence, you will be denying yourself from having children, which means that you will not be able to fulfill what other people are truly longing for. You are not going to be able to experience what being a parent is all about, not being able to bring a life into the world nor leaving a legacy behind.

Deciding to abstain from having sex is a huge decision that requires a great deal of commitment and will affect every aspect of your life. While your sexual life is a highly personal thing, it would also pay to be fully informed before you make such a big decision. With the pros and cons listed above, we hope that we are able to help come to a decision from seeing the opposing opinions on this practice in a currently sex-driven world. The final decision is ultimately yours to make, and being well-informed on the subject will prevent you from feeling the pressure from either side.