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青年人与完全节欲
在一些社会，青少年被成年人苦苦地告诫要完全实行节制性行为，因为完全节欲既能防止非意愿怀孕也能预防性传播疾病。这样的苦求效果如何，倒在其次。毕竟，青春期之后，个体就一直要对付相当强大的生物欲望（即性欲——译者注），欲求实现其性欲。所以，贯穿人类历史的多数时候，青少年被认为已经适宜于结婚了；而且事实上，在许多文化传统里，他们也在十多岁的时候就入了洞房。时常，社会存在着双重标准问题：人们认为女子节欲比男子更重要。此外，许多青年人知晓通过使用避孕套/安全套和采用其他“安全性行为”也能够获得必要的保护。尽管如此，如果青年人有坚定的宗教信仰，赞同完全节欲；或者如果他们的性兴趣衰微或淡薄，他们可能能够尽其所能抵御所有的诱惑，取悦其家长、老师和牧师。可是，当今的经验告诉人们，无论他们被灌输了一些什么，在许多国家和许多社群里，多数的青少年在较早的年龄确实会发生性交行为。
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7个国家已婚与未婚15-19岁男女青少年已经发生性交的百分比
Percentage of 15-19-year-old males and females in seven countries who have ever had intercourse according to marital status
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如柱状图所示，在成年以前青少年发生性交的百分比较高。许多人未婚，未婚男孩尤甚。
As the graph shows, a high percentage of teenagers has had sexual intercourse before reaching adulthood. A great many of them are unmarried, especially the males.
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Source: Family Planning Perspectives, vol. 26, no. 1, March 2000, Singh, S.,
Wulf, D., Samara, R., Cuca, Y.P.: Gender Differences in the Timing of First Intercourse: Data from 14 Countries; Alan Guttmacher Institute
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Contraception
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Methods
of Contraception: Contraceptive
Methods for Either Sex
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Young People and Total Abstinence
In some societies adolescents are entreated by their elders to practice total sexual abstinence, because it will protect them from both unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. How effective such entreaties are, is another question. After all, after puberty one is dealing with some powerful biological urges demanding expression. Therefore, throughout most of human history adolescents were considered ready for marriage, and in many cultures they were, in fact, married while still in their teens. Often, there is also a double standard at work: Abstinence is considered more important for females than for males. Moreover, many young people know that the necessary protection can also be obtained by the use of condoms and other “safe sex” practices. Still, if they have strong religious convictions in favor of total abstinence, or if their sexual interests are weak or unfocussed, they may be able to resist all temptations long enough to please their parents, teachers, and clergymen. Experience has shown, however, that today, no matter what they are told, a great number of adolescents in many countries and many social groups do engage in sexual intercourse at an ever earlier age.
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