Making Sense of Abstinence is a collection of 16 lessons for teaching about sexual abstinence in the context of comprehensive

sexuality education Sex education, also known as sexual education, sexuality education or sex ed, is the instruction of issues relating to human sexuality, including emotional relations and responsibilities, human sexual anatomy, sexual activity, sexual reproduct ...

. According to the Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention, and Parenting, it is "a

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

that takes

abstinence Abstinence is a self-enforced restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, but it can also mean abstinence from alcohol, drugs, food, etc. ...

beyond a one-dimensional scope of 'just say no,'... tilizingpositive and engaging activities to help young people think about

in a way that values their ability to make decisions." Sample lessons include such titles as "So What's An Abstinence Anyway?" "Hey, Mom? Hey, Dad? Hey...Gram? Can We Talk about Abstinence?" "Just Say Know," "Masturbation: A Touchy Subject," "Handling Horny," and "Some Day: Making the Transition from Sexual Abstinence". The manual has received praise from sexuality educators for expanding the way

teaches about abstinence, and for teaching the subject in a positive way, unlike other fear-based approaches. For example, the online journal "Sexual Intelligence" praised "Making Sense of Abstinence" for "not treating kids like robotic idiots."

Abstinence-only Abstinence-only sex education is a form of sex education that teaches not having sex outside of marriage. It often excludes other types of sexual and reproductive health education, such as birth control and safe sex. Comprehensive sex education, ...

advocates have criticized the manual for including such topics as

outercourse Non-penetrative sex or outercourse is sexual activity that usually does not include sexual penetration. It generally excludes the penetrative aspects of vaginal, anal, or oral sexual activity, but includes various forms of sexual and non-sexu ...

and

masturbation Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys such as vibrators, or combinatio ...

, behaviors they believe should not be acknowledged. Critics also claim that teenagers should not learn information to protect themselves when their abstinence decisions change. The authors of "Making Sense of Abstinence" state that neither the "Just say no" approach, nor the "Always say yes," is appropriate for abstinence education. Rather, they emphasize that teens need complete information to help them make the best decisions for themselves.

References

{{Reflist Sex education Sexual abstinence Sexuality and society