No doubt we are aware already of the attendant CHALLEGES that the teen life comes with, the fact that its a stage where life is full of energy and desire to want to know and do. It is also characterised with an increased consciousness for sexuality and this as it were needs proper handling ans management to avoid the minds of the young ones straying away into things they may not have all the thay ot takes to handle especially when it comes to experimenting.
The fact is there are increasing number of youth who are engaging in sexual activity with multiple partners at the same time with evident gender differentials where males tend to have more sexual partners at the same time compared to females .
These risky behaviours have been linked with factors at the individual, family and environmental levels, which have been noted to put young people at risk of sexually transmitted infections and may affect them throughout their life course
Despite the focus on risky behaviours among youth in Nigeria some teens/ young people are able to engage in protective behaviours and have positive outcomes even in the face of exposure to factors that have been shown to favour risk, such as social media and unsupportive family structure .
The presence of such youth has inspired a hope that abstinence is a way to go and that there is wisdom in resilience to keep prude and maintain purity at all times.
What Is Abstinence?
You may have heard people talk about abstinence in different ways.
Some people think of abstinence as not having vaginal intercourse. They may enjoy other kinds of sex play that don't lead to pregnancy. This is better described as outercourse ans a no go area for any young person.
Some people define abstinence as not having vaginal intercourse when a woman might get pregnant. This is better described as period abstinence, which is one of the fertility awareness-based methods of birth control.( sexual activity as we know is a marriage affair and not a free for all)
And some people define abstinence as not having any kind of sex play with a partner. This is the definition we we are trying to promote in this piece ans a worthy ofcourse indeed for the sake our the health and livelihood of our teens.
- the practice of restraining oneself from indulging in something, typically alcohol or sex.
The definition of abstinence is choosing not to engage in a certain behavior, or not giving in to a desire or appetite.
An example of abstinence is a recovering alcoholic that no longer drinks. continuously. Abstinent is the only way to be absolutely sure that you won't have an unintended pregnancy or get a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
We encourage Complete abstinence;
As this is the only way to guarantee protection against STDs. This means avoiding all types of intimate genital contact. Someone practicing complete abstinence does not have any type of intimate sexual contact, including oral sex. So there is no risk of getting an STD.
N.B;
Abstinence does not prevent HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C infections that can spread through nonsexual activities, like using contaminated needles for tattooing or injecting drugs or steroids. Therefore total ansinexe also cover other areas as it have youthful exuberance.
Not having sex may seem easy because it's not doing anything. But peer pressure and other things can make the decision to practice abstinence difficult. If it seems like everybody else is having sex, you may feel like you have to also.
But teasing or pressure from friends, a friend shouldn't push you into something that's not right for you.
Choosing abstinence is an important decision — and yours to make.
There are other benefits of abstinence. People choose abstinence to:
wait until they feel ready for a sexual relationship
wait to find the right partner ans get married when it's time.
enjoy their partner’s company without having to deal with a sexual relationship
focus on school, job, or hobbies
follow their personal, moral, or religious beliefs and values
get over a breakup
heal from the death of a partner
follow their doctor’s advice during or after a sickness, infection, or medical procedure
Abstinence is a great choice for so many reasons. Here is a list of the most importance reasons to practice abstinence, and why sexual abstinence is a ‘big deal’.
- Sexual abstinence is the only 100% guarantee that you won’t become a mommy or a daddy until you’re ready. (No stretch marks, no crying babies, no poopy diapers – until you’re ready!)
- Sexual abstinence is the only 100% guarantee that you won’t get an STD. (While latex condoms can help prevent some STDs, they are not nearly 100% effective. Condoms don’t prevent against HPV, gonorrhoea, or genital herpes among many other STDs)
- Having sex with an individual has psychological repercussions. If there is a breakup, increased chances of depression and unstable mental health are higher.
- Practising sexual abstinence is a great way to get to know your boundaries and develop a stronger relationship emotionally and spiritually with the person you are dating.
- You won’t need to hide anything from your parents or your friends, which takes a lot of pressure off your back and helps strengthen your relationship with them.
- You will know that the person you are with, is with you for YOU. Your personality, your interests, and all of the great things about you besides sexuality.
- Statistics show that teens who practise sexual abstinence are less likely to have depression, less likely to attempt suicide, less likely to live in poverty as adults.
- Statistics show that teens who practise sexual abstinence are likely to do better in school. (Twice as likely to graduate from college than teens who do not practise abstinence).
There are so many other personal, social and economical reasons why abstinence is a great idea. But ultimately, it all comes down to personal choice. What do you choose? Take some time to think about this
Prudes and Prejudice
“I don’t like friends thinking I’m some kind of prude.”
The girl sitting in my office made one thing clear: She didn’t enjoy her reputation as the innocent
teen who didn’t understand the sexual culture of high school. Her parents reported that she was
enduring a difficult environment, with serious pressure from friends to participate in and approve
of their lifestyles.
Sadly, this wasn’t the first time I’d heard a young person express that sentiment. The language
varies, but Christian kids have long voiced the same concern: I don’t like feeling weird and
uncool.
Can we identify the pressure from peers here ? This is one challenge facing many teens today who had chosen the part of chastity.
PARENTS/TEACHERS TO THE RESCURE
Being different can be difficult, but we can help our teens recognize that being “set apart” from our
world helps us honor God with our lives.
Set apart. The word prude didn’t always have such a negative meaning. In Old French, the original word referred to a woman worthy of respect.
A prodefemme was generally seen as wise, good and virtuous. Today, the term is used to criticize someone as being self-righteous, excessively modest or unwilling to do
something sexually.
I want to teach my children that original concept of a prude — to be men and women who value virtue and
strive to reflect such values at school and with their friends. This goal requires two things:
teaching them about God’s design for human sexuality, and then inspiring them to hold true to those
values while living in a culture that rejects His ways.
Be the teacher. It’s critical that parents are the ones to teach their kids about God’s design for marriage and sex.
Children/Teens/youths are going to learn about sex, often much earlier than parents are comfortable with. Who do we
want them to learn from?
The kids at school? The internet? Children benefit when their parents are
the primary source of information about marriage and sex.
Inspire them. We must continually help our kids recognize the basic truth that Christians live by higher values
than what the broader culture does. Our secular peers may be hostile to those values, but not
conforming to the culture’s ways is simply part of the territory of the Christian faith
(Romans 12:2).
Let’s challenge and inspire our kids to exercise virtue and prudence as they establish the
architecture of their life.
God’s Plan for us;
- Have teens create a list of qualities they would like to see in a future husband or wife.
- Help them concentrate more on internal than external qualities.
- Encourage them to dream big and wait on God to meet their needs and desires.
- Pray for their future spouse with them.
- Have teens reflect on Romans 8:28. Remind them that God has known them from before they were born. He’s in charge of their lives. They need to trust His timing for all their relationships.
Ayo-Ben-Niji
CitadelProject
For further read and reference,
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/your-life-counts/
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/
https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/abstinence.html
0 Comments