Sexual abstinence

[4] According to Pythagoras (6th century BCE), sex should be practiced in the winter, but not the summer, but was harmful to male health in every season because the loss of semen was dangerous, hard to control, and both physically and spiritually exhausting, but had no effect on females.

In modern times, the argument has been phrased in biological terms, claiming that loss of semen through ejaculation results in a depletion of vital nutrients such as lecithin and phosphorus, which are also found at high levels in the brain.

Conservation of the semen allegedly allows it to be reabsorbed back into the bloodstream and aid in the healthy development of the body.

[5] Along these lines, the noted German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche spoke of the positive physiological effects of abstinence: "The reabsorption of semen by the blood ... perhaps prompts the stimulus of power, the unrest of all forces towards the overcoming of resistances ...

The feeling of power has so far mounted highest in abstinent priests and hermits" (quoted by Walter Kaufman in his classic, Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist, p. 222).

Before the "sexual revolution" of the 1960s, it was commonly believed by members of the medical profession that numerous mental and physical diseases in men were caused primarily by loss of nutrients through seminal discharge, and that the deliberate conservation of this substance would lead to increased health, vitality, and intellectual prowess.

World War I began a return to sexual freedom and indulgence, but more often than not, the appearance of conforming to the earlier moral values of abstinence before marriage was retained.

During the early 20th century, prominent feminist and birth control advocate Margaret Sanger argued that abstinence from sexual activity led to greater endurance and strength, and was a sign of the best of the species: Though sex cells are placed in a part of the anatomy for the essential purpose of easily expelling them into the female for the purpose of reproduction, there are other elements in the sexual fluid which are the essence of blood, nerve, brain, and muscle.

A girl can waste her creative powers by brooding over a love affair to the extent of exhausting her system, with the results not unlike the effects of masturbation and debauchery.[7]J.

The author finds that the most culturally successful groups always exhibit lifelong monogamous relationships which include sexual abstinence outside of marriage.

[8] According to Unwin, after a nation becomes prosperous it becomes increasingly liberal with regard to sexual morality and as a result loses its cohesion, its impetus and its purpose, ultimately having a negative effect on society: "The whole of human history does not contain a single instance of a group becoming civilized unless it has been absolutely monogamous, nor is there any example of a group retaining its culture after it has adopted less rigorous customs.

In some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan,[11] Afghanistan,[12][13][14] Iran,[14] Kuwait,[15] Maldives,[16] Morocco,[17] Mauritania,[18] Qatar,[19] Sudan,[20] Yemen,[21] any form of sexual activity outside marriage is illegal.

In some parts of the world, people suspected of engaging in premarital or same-sex sexual activity can become victims of honor killings committed by their families.

[citation needed] At other times, abstinence has been seen as a great social skill practiced by those who refuse to engage with the material and physical world.

Some groups and teachers that propose sexual abstinence consider it an essential means to reach a particular intellectual or spiritual condition, or that chastity allows one to achieve a required self-control or self-consciousness.

The Catholic Church does, however, condone the practice of periodical abstinence during a woman's natural cycle of fertility for married couples who, for just reasons, do not wish to have a child at that time.

"[36] The Indian tradition of Brahmacharya places great emphasis on abstinence as a way of harnessing the energy of body and mind towards the goal of spiritual realization.

However, these depictions of sex are not generally understood to be a license for free sexual practices, but are instead meant to celebrate procreation as an integral part of existence in the universe.

In actual practice, it is highly encouraged that both males and females abstain from pre-marital sex and exercise chastity, which still exists today in Hindu cultures.

For a lay Jain, it represents a virtuous lifestyle devoid of constant sexual urges, that also includes simple living, meditation and other behaviors.

[47] The medical claims made were generally unsupported by any scientific evidence, and urologist Ashley Winter pointed out that voluntary ejaculation is in many men simply replaced by involuntary nocturnal emissions.

[47] Unsubstantiated claims included that abstaining from masturbation would "reboot" the brain, increase testosterone, strength, manliness, economic success, and sexual confidence; and resolve problems like erectile dysfunction, depression, and bad skin.

[52] Organizations such as SIECUS have called abstinence-only programs "fear-based," and "designed to control young people's sexual behavior by instilling fear, shame, and guilt.

[citation needed] A U.S. federal government-promoted abstinence-only program was aimed at teens in 1981 in order to discourage premarital sex and unwanted pregnancies.

This program is focused to provide teenagers with science-based information on sexual health, so that they can make a sound decision regarding their sex-life.

[57] Family-planning advocates and researchers denounced the program as unrealistic, due to the rising age of first-time marriage in the United States.

However, a review of 13 U.S. sex-abstinence programs involving over 15,000 people by Oxford University found that they do not stop risky sexual behavior, or help in the prevention of unwanted pregnancy.

[62] Recently, the United States Congress also found similar results in a study conducted by Mathematica Policy Research on abstinence.