Editing Oneida Community (section)

=== Male continence ===

The Oneida community enacted a system of male continence or ''[[coitus reservatus]]'' to control reproduction within it.{{sfn |Sandeen |1971}}{{sfn |Miller |1895 |p={{page needed |date=April 2023}}}} John Humphrey Noyes decided that sexual intercourse served two distinct purposes. In ''Male Continence'', Noyes argues that the method simply "proposes the subordination of the flesh to the spirit, teaching men to seek principally the elevated spiritual pleasures of sexual connection".{{sfn |Noyes |1872 |p=[{{Google books|WjvC2hNe4uoC|page=13|plainurl=yes}} 13]}} The primary purpose of male continence was social satisfaction, "to allow the sexes to communicate and express affection for one another".{{sfn |Van Wormer |2006}} The second purpose was procreation. Of around two hundred adults using male continence as birth control, there were twelve unplanned births within Oneida between 1848 and 1868,{{sfn |Van Wormer |2006}} indicating that it was a highly effective form of birth control.{{sfn |Foster |1986 |p=18}} Young men were introduced to male continence by post-menopausal women, and experienced, older males introduced young women.{{sfn |Foster |1986 |pp=18–19}}

Noyes believed that ejaculation "drained men's vitality and led to disease"{{sfn |Mandelker |1982 |pp=742–3}} and pregnancy and childbirth "levied a heavy tax on the vitality of women".{{sfn |Mandelker |1982 |pp=742–3}} Noyes founded male continence to spare his wife, Harriet, from more difficult childbirths after five traumatizing births of which four led to the death of the child.{{sfn |Foster |1986 |p=17}} They favored this method of male continence over other methods of birth control because they found it to be natural, healthy, and favorable for the development of intimate relationships.{{sfn |Mandelker |1982 |p=743}} Women found increased sexual satisfaction in the practice, and Oneida is regarded as highly unusual in the value they placed on women's sexual satisfaction.{{sfn |Foster |1986 |p=19}} If a male failed, he faced public disapproval or private rejection.{{sfn |Mandelker |1982 |p=743}}

It is unclear whether the practice of male continence led to significant problems. Sociologist Lawrence Foster sees hints in Noyes' letters indicating that masturbation and anti-social withdrawal from community life may have been issues.{{sfn |Foster |1986 |p=19}} Oneida's practice of male continence did not lead to [[impotence]].{{sfn |Foster |1986 |p=18}}