Virginity and Celibacy As Health Issues

Public Health Faculty Publications School of Public Health 3-1988 Virginity and Celibacy as Health Issues Mary Guinan University of Nevada, Las Vegas, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/ community_health_sciences_fac_articles Part of the Gender and Sexuality Commons, Medicine and Health Commons, Obstetrics and Gynecology Commons, and the Women's Health Commons Repository Citation Guinan, M. (1988). Virginity and Celibacy as Health Issues. Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association, 43(2), 60-60. Reston, VA: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/community_health_sciences_fac_articles/60 This Article is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Article in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Article has been accepted for inclusion in Public Health Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WOMEN'S HEALTH Virginity and celibacy as health issues Mary E. Guinan, MD, PhD contact and would increase the rate indulge in high-risk sexual behavior of sexually transmitted diseases even after being educated on the Sexual behavior is both a health issue because it was not 100% effective. If risks. The essential questions are: if and a moral issue. Hence public edu chemical prophylaxis worked, then it we teach safer sex practices to this cation on sexuality has traditionally permitted the soldiers to indulge in group, are we promoting immorali come from two main sources, those illicit sexual acts without fear of ty? Or alternatively, are we negligent individuals or groups concerned with "punishment." Fear of sexually if we do not inform them of all health and those concerned with transmitted diseases was considered possible ways of reducing as well as morals. In his book No Magic Bullet (Oxford University Press, 1985), Allan Brandt describes the tensions Virginity and celibacy will prevent the acquisition and that developed between these groups spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. over the control of sexually transmit That they are considered morally correct by many religious ted diseases in the United States and social groups does not negate their healthiness. early in this century. Both groups wanted to control sexual behavior, but for different reasons. Public a strong deterrent to engaging in preventing a fatal infection? These health personnel wanted to change sexual intercourse outside of mar issues sharply polarize many groups sexual behavior in order to control riage. Therefore, the ref9rmers currently engaged in educating the infection and disease, while moralists argued that Army health workers public on AIDS. believed that sexual activity outside who promoted chemical prophylaxis As a public health worker, I would of marriage was fundamentally (such as "pro kits" for self-adminis like to emphasize those practices on wrong or immoral and could not be tration by soldiers) promoted pro which general agreement exists. For condoned. miscuity. the unmarried, virginity is healthy In many situations the moral and This is essentially the same contro and celibacy (or so-called secondary health messages were the same. For versy now swirling around the pro virginity) is also healthy. Both will example, virginity and celibacy motion of condoms to reduce the risk prevent the acquisition and spread of among the unmarried were advo of AIDS. Health workers who favor sexually transmitted diseases, includ cated by both groups. But disagree instructing the public on condom use ing AIDS. That virginity and celiba ment arose when public health offi for reducing risks of sexually trans cy are considered morally correct by cials advocated teaching the public mitted diseases argue that these mea many religious and social groups bow to reduce the transmission of sures are directed at those who con does not negate their healthiness. In sexually transmitted diseases while tinue to indulge in high-risk sexual this era of an epidemic sexually continuing to engage in nonmarital behavior (ie, those who have rejected transmitted disease that is also fatal, sexual activity. The moralists be the message that this behavior is the health benefits of abstention lieved that giving information on either immoral or unhealthy). We from sexual intercourse for the reducing the risk of disease was tan must acknowledge that some portion unmarried cannot be overempha tamount to encouraging immoral of the population will continue to sized. sexual behavior. The issue that bitterly divided the reformers of the social hygiene move ment and United States Army medi EDITOR'S PAGE, continued cal workers during and after ·World ty prevalent among consumers and quences for the many who would War I was chemical prophylaxis. The some members of the bar must not be have been left unprotected. Clearly, Army set up prophylaxis stations for allowed to prevail. The public must physicians and medical product man male soldiers exposed to venereal be made aware that the large awards ufacturers share a commitment to disease. Prophylaxis involved wash made to those suffering from vaccine patient safety and a wish to ensure ing the genitals and treating the ure related complications nearly resulted fair compensation for an injured thra with disinfectants to prevent in the withdrawal of the diphtheria patient. However, these goals must development of infection. The pertussis-tetanus vaccine from the be accomplished without threatening reformers believed that chemical market. "Justice" for the few the viability of any of the involved • prophylaxis encouraged illicit sexual afHicted almost had dire conse- parties. 60 JAMWA Vol. 43, No. 2 .

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