Making Sense of Abstinence: Lessons for Comprehensive Sex Education

Making Sense of Abstinence is a collection of 16 lessons for teaching about sexual abstinence in the context of comprehensive sexuality education. It is a curriculum that takes abstinence beyond a one-dimensional scope of 'just say no,' utilizing positive and engaging activities to help young people think about abstinence 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 sexuality education teaches about abstinence, and for teaching the subject in a positive way, unlike other fear-based approaches.