Editing Sexual abstinence (section)

{{Short description|Act of refraining from sexual activity}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
[[File:Purity-Rings.jpg|thumb|[[Purity ring]]s are worn by some [[youth]] committed to the practice of sexual abstinence.<ref name="O'Brien2009"/>|alt=Metal ring engraved with "my beloved [...] will wait"]]
'''Sexual abstinence''' or '''sexual restraint''' is the practice of refraining from [[Human sexual activity|sexual activity]] for reasons medical, psychological, legal, social, philosophical, moral, religious or other. It is a part of [[chastity]]. [[Celibacy]] is sexual abstinence generally motivated by factors such as an individual's personal or religious [[beliefs]].<ref>''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'' (3d ed. 1992), entries for ''celibacy'' and thence ''abstinence''</ref>  Sexual abstinence before [[marriage]] is required by [[social norm]]s in some societies, or by law in some countries.

[[Abstinence]] may be voluntary (when an individual chooses not to engage in sexual activity due to moral, religious, philosophical, or other reasons), an involuntary result of social circumstances (when one cannot find any willing [[sexual partner]]s), or legally mandated (e.g. in countries where sexual activity outside marriage is illegal, in prisons, etc.).

While actual abstinence prevents [[pregnancy]] and [[sexually transmitted infections]], mere attempts at abstinence have little effect on the risk of either.<ref name="CT2023">{{cite book |last1=Cason |first1=Patty |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sa3WEAAAQBAJ |title=Contraceptive Technology |last2=Cwiak |first2=Carrie |last3=Kowal |first3=Deborah |last4=Edelman |first4=Alison |date=26 September 2023 |publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning |isbn=978-1-284-25503-4 |edition=22 |pages=207–219 |language=en}}</ref> Access to other forms of [[birth control]], such as [[emergency birth control]], is thus recommended.<ref name="CT2023" />