>I think there is something wrong with your thread title. Abstinence does work.
>
>It's the lack of practice of it that may be the question.:-)

Abstinence as a program is similar to some other programs which have failed exactly because they expected people to do something they don't like, out of their free will. Take the introduction of metric system in the US - it never happened. The people here are used to the imperial system, no matter how illogical and complicated it may be, and they stick with it. Abstinence from imperial units didn't work - because people weren't doing it.

Abstinence from sex may work in the cases when it's applied, but you can't expect people to go against their own nature all the time. So as a program it is bound to fail.