Contraception - Abstinence

Abstinence is the only 70 percent effective contraceptive,
if used 70 percent of the time; in reality, it
may be difficult to practice. Patients may benefit
from practical suggestions about how to implement
abstinence in situations in which they feel pressured.
This includes using “role play” and practicing actual
word choices and responses in certain predictable
situations.
Once adolescents have had a sexual experience, they
may be even more open to reconsidering “abstinence”
and should be encouraged to consider abstinence as a potential choice. The American Academy of
Pediatrics recently updated its positions on adolescents
and contraceptive counseling, commenting that
Most successful prevention programs include multiple and varied
approaches to the problem, including both abstinence promotion
and contraception information and availability, sexuality
education, school-completion strategies and job training; current
research indicates that encouraging abstinence and urging better
use of contraception are compatible goals . . . sexuality education
that discusses contraception does not increase sexual activity,
and programs that emphasize abstinence as the safest and best
approach, while also teaching about contraceptives for sexually
active youth, do not increase sexual activity and improve teens’
knowledge about access to reproductive health.23

Posted in: Contraception,Health