Abstinence

The word abstinence means refraining from indulging in an appetite.

In the 1800s and 1900s, the word "abstinence," used without other explanation, almost always meant abstinence from alcohol. The "abstinence movement," for example, led to the establishment of prohibition. Teetotaler mean someone who advocated "total abstinence," rather than just moderation.

Starting in about the 1990s, "abstinence" has been more commonly used in the context of abstinence from sexual intercourse, particularly in the United States in the context of sex education for adolescents. Thus, for example, we read in a 2002 White House policy statement:

..."the goal of Federal policy should be to emphasize abstinence as the only certain way to avoid both unintended pregnancies and STDs."

The new Democratic-controlled Congress wants to abolish abstinence-only sex education programs, arguing that fornication is the norm (i.e., inevitable). But a 2004 Heritage Foundation study found that virginity pledges significantly reduce premarital sex without putting backsliders at risk. [1]