Abstinence

What’s good about waiting?

 It gives you time to:

 Focus on everything else in your life.

Think about what sex means to you.

You won’t have to worry about protecting yourself from HIV or other STIs, or getting pregnant.

If you are seeing someone now, you can take time to get to know each other better without the pressures of sex.

Is abstinence for you?

 Ask yourself the following questions:

 How do I feel about sex? At what point in a relationship would I be ready for sex? What kind of person am I attracted to? Am I comfortable talking about birth control and STI protection with my partner?

 Is now a good time for a sexual relationship? What is my course/workload? How many close friends do I have? What would I be willing to give up if I had a sexual relationship that needed a lot of my time and attention?

 Is abstinence a good option? Do I have clear reasons for wanting to wait? Can I see benefits of waiting? Is my choice to be abstinent strong enough to stand up to pressure?

 Can I stick to my decision? Do I know my limits and have a plan for how to stick to them? Do I feel pressure to have sex from a partner, friends, or my own sexual feelings? How will I handle strong feelings and/or pressure from a partner or friends?

 Answering these questions will help you decide if abstinence is a good option for you.