Chastity is the state of being chaste or pure. People originally used this term to describe how someone’s sexual behavior conformed to their religion or culture’s moral standards. However, in the wider community, the term now refers to sexual abstinence, particularly before marriage. People who practice chastity usually try to abstain from sex, and even aim to keep sex out of their thoughts and words.
The words chaste and chastity both come from the Latin word castus meaning "pure." When these words became part of the English language in the mid-13th century, chaste meant pure from unlawful sexual intercourse (or extramarital sex), and chastity referred to a woman's virginity. However, by the end of the 16th century, the difference between the two terms became less distinct. Because of its modern definition, sexual abstinence is often used as a synonym for chastity.
Chastity and Religion
Members of Christian churches often take a vow of chastity. Early church fathers felt that chastity had three grades. The first, virginity, describes the point when someone has no experience of sexual activity. The second, continence, describes a state when people control their sexual activity. They could do this through abstaining from ejaculation, for example. Matrimony is the final stage of chastity. During this stage, people are only sexually active with their spouse. Buddhism, Daoism, Jainism, and Hinduism are some examples of other religions that celebrate chastity.
Chastity and BDSM
Chastity can be an element of power exchange play within BDSM relationships. During chastity play, a dominant may prevent their submissive from having sex or masturbating. The submissive may wear chastity devices to prevent sexual gratification. The dominant could also restrain the submissive using bondage techniques or simply tell them they are not allowed to pleasure themselves. Chastity play lasts for as long as the dominant determines and the submissive consents to the arrangement. It is usually a more short-term arrangement than chastity on religious grounds. Some vanilla couples may also similarly play with chastity to spice up their sex lives.
Why People Practice Chastity
People practice chastity for many reasons, depending on their religion, cultural beliefs and community. People often practice chastity to test their willpower and show their devotion to a partner, whether they are in a relationship or yet to meet them. They may also believe they can focus more on other aspects of their life, like studying or serving the church, if they take sex out of the equation.
Religious people may practice chastity to show their devotion to their faith. Some non-religious people also practice chastity because they believe it can help them form deeper, more meaningful relationships. Some people who feel they’ve had too many casual relationships choose to reset with a period of chastity before diving into dating and sex again. They may also want to reduce their risk of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
In the BDSM community, a dominant may start a chastity play scene to remind their submissive that they are in control of their sexual pleasure. They may deny their submissive sex to punish them or enjoy chastity play as part of any scene. Chastity play may also be part of a long-term relationship arrangement between a dominant and submissive. Chastity play in BDSM reinforces the power exchange relationship. The dominant enjoys exercising their power over their submissive while the submissive enjoys feeling vulnerable and powerless. Abstaining from sex can build anticipation and may make sexual play - and orgasms - more intense when they do occur.