earing lectures by women who understand
life.

[Sidenote: Books.]

With regard to good literature that will help in this line, there are
chapters in many of the books mentioned at the end of this lecture, and
in more or less indirect form in the general literature suggested in
the preceding lectures concerning young men, and in Sec. 12 which deals
with the general educational problem of marriage.

Sec. 41. _Reasons for Pre-marital Continence of Women_

[Sidenote: Many women do not need reasons.]

Many women who have lived protected lives have declared themselves
unable to understand why a young woman should need reasons for
pre-marital continence; and these women are probably right so far as
the great majority of the daughters of families in good social
conditions are concerned. As pointed out in earlier lectures, there is
abundant evidence that the average adolescent girl who is protected
against external sexual stimuli and influenced constantly by the
prevailing ideals which demand chastity of women, is not likely to need
any arguments why she should avoid pre-marital incontinence. Moreover,
there seems to be little danger that the average girl with good social
environment will ever question her ideals of chastity unless under the
stress of overwhelming affection; in other words, there is little
possibility that such women will be interested in the strictly
mechanical, non-affectionate, and unsentimental sexual relations which
must inevitably characterize the common prostitution of men.

[Sidenote: Unprotected girls.]

Note that I am referring to the average young woman in good social
environment, and for the moment omitting the vast class of so-called
"unprotected" girls. Moreover, I am speaking of the "average," and I am
not forgetting that medical journals and books record many exceptions.
Nevertheless, we must not be misled by medical literature, for
naturally the physician sees the women whose lack of health leads them
to seek professional advice, and it is well known that in sexual lines
women commonly become decidedly unhealthy before they consult
physicians. As testimony concerning the average normal women, I have
the greatest confidence in the statements of thoughtful women with
sound scientific attitude; and such are my authority for the view that
maintaining pre-marital continence is not one of the serious problems
for the average young woman with good domestic and social environment.

Now, whil