Current:Home > Back50 Cent posted about a 'year of abstinence.' Voluntary celibacy is a very real trend.-InfoLens
50 Cent posted about a 'year of abstinence.' Voluntary celibacy is a very real trend.
View Date:2024-12-23 15:26:04
50 Cent claimed in a recent Instagram post that he's "practicing abstinence" – which many have taken as him saying he's not having sex, specifically.
"My new idea is so big, I don’t have time to be distracted I’m practicing abstinence, I have been meditating and focusing on my goals," he wrote earlier this week on the social platform. "I hope this New Year helps you excel to the next level."
Of course, he could be talking about something else or using this as a marketing ploy to promote a product. Let's not forget how Snoop Dogg caused a similar hubbub when he said he was quitting smoking. USA TODAY has reached out to reps for 50 Cent for more information.
Regardless, voluntary celibacy is very much a trend, despite society's emphasis on sex as some kind of threshold to cross. Or that if you're not having sex, you're somehow not enjoying or experiencing life to its fullest or most pleasurable.
In reality, choosing boundaries can be empowering for those who want to exhibit agency over their bodies and relationships. Sexual empowerment advocate and writer Amanda McCracken explains, "There's just as much power in saying no as yes."
Why some people choose to not have sex
Sex researcher Candice Hargons previously told USA TODAY there are many known benefits of a healthy sex life. But saying no can also offer similar perks. Some may opt for abstinence because they're fed up with hookup culture and crave an emotional connection. Others may use the opportunity for mindfulness and reflection.
"The pros of celibacy can include the ability to build a romantic relationship with someone without the pressure of sex, the ability to focus on other important parts more readily, and even spiritual growth and alignment for one with religious values," says Hargons, an associate professor of counseling psychology at the University of Kentucky.
Sex experts clarify there's no "right or wrong" way to be abstinent. McCracken, for example, explained she dated and was "intimate" with numerous men during an abstinence journey of her own, but she refrained from sex. This experience led her to find a "healthy and irreplaceable" romance with her husband.
"We learned to have intimacy and build that connection without sexual intercourse," she says, adding that it allowed them to better "listen to each other and be present and aware of each other's needs."
Celibacy not 'inherently better or worse'
When abstinence is a choice, it "can really be an amazing experience," according to Cate Mackenzie, a psychosexual therapist and couples counselor. Just as it's OK to want casual hookups, it can also empowering to remove yourself from a culture that pressures people to be sexually active.
But Hargons emphasized that shaming individuals into abstinence with religious purity culture can have adverse effects, including ignorance about safe sex as well as sexual trauma.
DC is buzzing about a Senate sex scandalWhat it says about the way we discuss gay sex.
Of course, healthy sexuality looks different for everyone, and no preference is superior. And if you do choose to have sex, there isn't a magical perfect cadence for every relationship.
"Celibacy isn't an inherently better or worse sexual option than other options," Hargons says. "Sexual wellness and empowerment is about deciding what works for you and your partner… as long as the root of the abstinence isn't shame or guilt."
Contributing: Jenna Ryu
What do rage rooms have to do with sex?A whole lot, it turns out.
veryGood! (6)
Related
- Bull doge! Dogecoin soars as Trump announces a government efficiency group nicknamed DOGE
- Two environmental protesters arrested after spraying Stonehenge with orange paint
- Police in southwest Washington fatally shoot man, second fatal shooting by department this month
- Former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun will have memoir out in 2025
- Investigation into Chinese hacking reveals ‘broad and significant’ spying effort, FBI says
- An East Texas town wants to revolutionize how the state cares for people living with memory loss
- Texas electricity demand could nearly double in six years, grid operator predicts
- 9-1-1 Crew Member Rico Priem's Cause of Death Revealed
- Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper Prove They're Going Strong With Twinning Looks on NYC Date
- Horoscopes Today, June 19, 2024
Ranking
- Louisiana mom arrested for making false kidnapping report after 'disagreement' with son
- How Rickwood Field was renovated for historic MLB game: 'We maintained the magic'
- Why Jon Hamm Was Terrified to Propose to Wife Anna Osceola
- Pennsylvania court will decide whether skill game terminals are gambling machines
- Lululemon, Disney partner for 34-piece collection and campaign: 'A dream collaboration'
- Should I go into debt to fix up my home? High interest rates put owners in a bind
- Kendrick Lamar performs Drake diss 'Not Like Us' 5 times at Juneteenth 'Pop Out' concert
- Legendary Actor Donald Sutherland Dead at 88
Recommendation
-
2 credit unions in Mississippi and Louisiana are planning to merge
-
Lululemon's New Crossbody Bag Is Pretty in Pink & the Latest We Made Too Much Drops Are Stylish AF
-
California voters lose a shot at checking state and local tax hikes at the polls
-
New Lollapalooza documentary highlights festival's progressive cultural legacy
-
Bo the police K-9, who located child taken at knifepoint, wins Hero Dog Awards 2024
-
Anchorage woman found dead in home after standoff with police, SWAT team
-
Former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun will have memoir out in 2025
-
Anchorage woman found dead in home after standoff with police, SWAT team