Abstinence News and Research

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Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging a desire or appetite for certain bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to abstention from sexual intercourse, alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical considerations.

Discovery could lead to new treatments to minimize cravings in people with addictions

For some people with alcohol use disorder, it might be the sight of a familiar bar or a favorite bottle; for others, it might be the feeling of leaving the office after a stressful day at work or stepping into a crowded party. Most people who struggle with drug or alcohol addiction have particular cues that set off their cravings.

4 May 2022

$11M for North Carolina work-based rehab raises concerns

An addiction treatment facility, highly regarded by North Carolina lawmakers, sits in a residential neighborhood here and operates like a village in itself.

6 Apr 2022

CBD and THC may be safe for use with opioid pain relievers, animal study suggests

Findings from a new animal study suggest that cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) might be safe for use with opioid pain relievers.

4 Apr 2022

Drug use beliefs are most influential and salient for youth substance use, suggests study

What are the most important factors to consider for developing effective drug use prevention programs? Many current programs for adolescents focus on elements including peer and family relationships, school connection, and youth's self-confidence and self-assertion.

23 Mar 2022

Money flows into addiction tech, but will it curb soaring opioid overdose deaths?

David Sarabia had already sold two startups by age 26 and was sitting on enough money to never have to work another day in his life.

21 Mar 2022

Relationship satisfaction changes in the early COVID-19 phases

A new study evaluated the relationship satisfaction among couples from different countries during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 Mar 2022

Discovery could lead to new treatment approach for people with alcohol-associated liver disease

Investigators at Cedars-Sinai have uncovered a new pathway that helps explain how consuming too much alcohol causes damage to the liver, specifically mitochondrial dysfunction in alcohol-associated liver disease.

22 Feb 2022

Discovery may lead to new treatment approach for people with alcohol-associated liver disease

14 Feb 2022

Study assesses the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid

Using e-cigarettes to stop smoking may result in fewer successful quit attempts than trying to quit using other smoking cessation aids, such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or meds, suggests US research published online in the journal Tobacco Control.

8 Feb 2022

Study shows chronic alcohol consumption as a potential risk factor for SARS-CoV-2-infection

In a study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, a team of researchers from Germany studied the expression data of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection-relevant genes such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), and the G-protein coupled receptor Mas in an alcohol-exposed rodent model infected with SARS-CoV-2.

7 Feb 2022

Study finds poorer outcomes after ICU discharge in patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis

Patients with alcohol-associated cirrhosis have poorer outcomes after ICU discharge, compared to patients with cirrhosis linked to other causes, according to new Mayo Clinic research.

25 Jan 2022

Ketamine plus psychological therapy can help people stay off alcohol for longer time

People with severe alcohol disorder were able to stay off alcohol for longer when they were treated with low doses of ketamine combined with psychological therapy in a clinical trial.

11 Jan 2022

Study reveals how drug-seeking habits contribute to the perpetuation of addiction

Why are some individuals able to use recreational drugs in a controlled way, whereas others switch to the compulsive, relapsing drug-seeking and -taking habits that characterize substance use disorder (SUD)? Despite more than six decades of extensive research, the question remains unanswered, hampering the development of targeted prevention and therapeutic strategies.

18 Dec 2021

Electronic nicotine delivery systems may help some people stop smoking cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes with cigarette-like nicotine delivery may help some people stop smoking cigarettes, according to a new study by Penn State College of Medicine and Virginia Commonwealth University researchers.

8 Dec 2021

Financial incentives effective in helping pregnant smokers stop smoking

Pregnant women are more likely to stop smoking if financial incentives are offered as part of a treatment plan, finds a trial from France published in The BMJ today.

2 Dec 2021

Study tracks risk and protective behaviors related to transmission of HIV/AIDS in young adults

A number of behaviors in younger adults that increase risk for the transmission of HIV/AIDS have declined or changed between 2010 and 2020, according to the national Monitoring the Future study.

10 Nov 2021

Texas providers see increased interest in birth control since near-total abortion ban

In September, when Texas' near-total abortion ban took effect, Planned Parenthood clinics in the Lone Star State started offering every patient who walked in information on Senate Bill 8, as well as emergency contraception, condoms and two pregnancy tests. The plan is to distribute 22,000 "empowerment kits" this year.

8 Nov 2021

Study findings speak against recommendations to drink alcohol for health reasons

Increased mortality risk among current alcohol abstainers might largely be explained by other factors, including previous alcohol or drug problems, daily smoking, and overall poor health, according to a new study publishing November 2nd in PLOS Medicine by Ulrich John of University Medicine Greifswald, Germany, and colleagues.

2 Nov 2021

Expert sound alarm on the crisis in sex education across the U.S.

Experts at the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) are calling attention to a crisis in sex education, specifically the continued creation and endorsement of abstinence-only curricula being taught across the U.S.

21 Oct 2021

Women may be more vulnerable to drug addiction and addiction-like behaviors than men

The results of several new studies focusing on sex differences in pain and addiction indicate females could be more susceptible to drug addiction and addiction-like behaviors than males. Researchers also explored the role of lack of sleep on the likeliness to relapse. This is due in part to hormone differences in females and males. Data from the studies will be presented virtually October 19–22 at the American Physiological Society's seventh conference on New Trends in Sex and Gender Medicine.

20 Oct 2021