Abstinence from oral, vaginal, and anal sex and participating
in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with a
partner known to be uninfected are prevention approaches to
avoid transmission of STIs. For persons who are being treated
for an STI (or whose partners are undergoing treatment),
counseling that encourages abstinence from sexual intercourse
until completion of the entire course of medication is vital
for preventing reinfection. A trial conducted among women
regarding the effectiveness of counseling messages when
patients have cervicitis or vaginal discharge demonstrated
that women whose sex partners have used condoms might
benefit from a hierarchical message that includes condoms
but women without such experience might benefit more from
an abstinence-only message (104). A more comprehensive
discussion of abstinence and other sexual practices that can help
persons reduce their risk for STIs is available in Contraceptive
Technology, 21st Edition (31).