Abstinence During Illness and Early Recovery
Abstinence During Illness and Early Recovery
During illness, the body is weak and yin-yang imbalanced. At such times, one must abstain from sexual activity and avoid cohabitation, especially with serious illnesses or certain infectious diseases. Cases where sexual activity worsens conditions or even proves fatal are not uncommon. *Yi Deng Xu Yan: Twelve Precepts for Honoring Life* specifically includes a section titled “Avoiding Sexual Activity,” stating: “To pursue longevity, one must first avoid lust—how much more so during illness! Since illness stems from deficiency inviting pathogens, one must firmly fortify defenses against invaders.” To protect both partners’ health, sexual activity should be prohibited in the following situations: First, sexually transmitted diseases. If one partner has syphilis, gonorrhea, chancroid, or bubonic lymphogranuloma, treatment must be completed before resuming sex—otherwise, the disease will be transmitted. Second, active tuberculosis. Tuberculosis patients often have strong sexual desire and impulsiveness, risking transmission. Couples should sleep separately to facilitate recovery. Third, acute infectious hepatitis. Fourth, if the woman suffers from trichomoniasis or fungal vaginitis, she must receive treatment and recover before resuming sex. Fifth, patients with nephritis or heart disease should limit sexual activity after treatment to prevent recurrence or worsening.
During the early recovery phase, abstinence and essence preservation are essential. Since kidney essence is the foundation of life, post-illness deficiency leaves the body weak and Qi depleted, requiring quiet rest. Engaging in sex now would drain essence, allowing illness to return. Ancient texts refer to this as “sexual labor relapse” or “female labor relapse,” listed among the “three relapses” after illness. They believed such relapses are more severe and harder to cure than the original illness. *Treatise on Cold Damage* states: “After a new illness, essence and marrow become dry—never engage in sex. Any sexual activity leading to relapse will result in death.” This underscores the grave danger of sexual activity after illness. Therefore, during early recovery, when the body is healing, sexual activity should be avoided or approached with extreme caution.