STD Prevention: Behavior Change

Abstinence - Abstinence as Prevention Policy

Given sufficient personal motivation and outside pressure, some people, especially teenagers, are able to abstain from sexual contact, at least for a while. However, the great majority of females and males prove every day that, for them, abstinence is not a realistic option. National and international prevention programs may very well try to promote abstinence, but they must also know that this is not enough. Indeed, in many countries young girls and women are in no position to be abstinent, since their societies render them powerless to resist the demands of their male partners. For this reason, the general empowerment of women, especially in developing countries, would greatly help prevention efforts.

In the meantime, it would be irresponsible to ignore today’s reality: Until gender equality has become universal, and in the face of continuing risk behavior in every country of the globe, STD prevention programs must fight the greatest present danger, and that means concentrating on the remaining second strategy of behavior change: “Safer sex”.

Two international organizations promoting the social, economic, and legal equality of women and men.
Top: United Nations. Bottom: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
(Click on logos.)