Voluntary celibacy and the sexual empowerment of saying ‘no’

• Sex positivity has encouraged consensual sex without shame. But does this apply to the decision to abstain?
• Experts say sexual empowerment is about having a choice — even if it means saying no.
• They caution this is different from celibacy related to religion, sexual trauma or incel culture.

Sexual empowerment is all about agency in having pleasurable, consensual sex with who you want, when you want, and with however many partners you want — without judgement or shame. However, this logic often isn’t applied to those who choose to abstain.

When Amanda McCracken told people she chose to be abstinent until she was 41, criticism flooded in from both men and women, from feminists and misogynists.

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