Am I missing out on Sex?

1. Missing out on sex means you can miss out on getting pregnant before you’re ready. Choosing abstinence means you have no chance of getting pregnant! Abstinence is the only birth control option that is 100% effective. Other forms of birth control are highly effective, when they are used properly. But none of them are as effective as abstinence. 100% effective means there is zero chance of getting pregnant.

Choosing abstinence means you don’t have to worry about whether your birth control really worked. The American Pregnancy Association reports that birth control failure is more common than most people know. The APA compared the rate of effectiveness for the average use of several forms of birth control, and found failure rates as high as 28%. Not having sex means you don’t have to worry about birth control failure rates.

2. Missing out on sex means you can also miss out on worrying about side effects linked to birth control. A quick web search on side effects from birth control methods found a variety of symptoms, including: depression, headaches, bloating, breast tenderness, spotting between periods, nausea, missed or irregular periods, vaginitis, blood clots, liver/gall bladder problems, and movement/ dislocation (if using an IUD, ring, or hormonal implant).

Choosing abstinence is choosing to not worry about unwanted side effects. If you think you may be pregnant because your birth control method may have failed, give us a call. Here at Alcove Health Women’s Clinic, we offer free pregnancy confirmation.

3. Missing out on sex means you can also miss out on STIs! According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 2.4 million STIs (sexually transmitted infections) were reported in the U.S. in 2023. On December 11, 2024, World Health Organization reported that an estimated 42 million people get genital herpes each year. What is even more concerning is that some STIs are asymptomatic which means a person can have an STI and have no symptoms. This is why many STIs go untreated, which increases the likelihood of spreading them to others. According to the American Society for Microbiology, “Untreated infections can result in permanent infertility, as well as an increased risk of cancer and HIV infection.”