Doug Reilly
Senior Editor
For any teenage boy, becoming a “man” is very important. Whether it is getting your driver’s license, getting into college, etc., achieving manhood is a huge aspect of the psychology for any guy. Nowadays, however, it’s more than just these small milestones. Losing one’s virginity has become one of the larger stepping-stones on the road to manhood, especially before heading off to college on your own, into the real world.
Why is losing virginity, specifically before college, so important for teenagers? “I guess it’s sort of a self-confidence thing,” senior Alan said. “Nobody wants to be a virgin in college and not have any idea what they’re doing. You’re going to find yourself in situations where you’re going to want to be comfortable and experienced.”
Similarly, senior Jessica plans on avoiding embarrassing encounters. “For me, it was more of a fear of being the awkward one who didn’t know what they were doing. I don’t want everyone to be talking about it and me have nothing to say,” she said.
However, for a girl like junior Melissa, sex isn’t essential to being comfortable once you head off to college. “I haven’t lost my virginity, and I don’t think that will effect how I feel in college,” she said. “Sex is a big deal and I want to be ready, I don’t want to do it just to say I’ve done it before college.”
On the NCHS Courant Sex Survey, of the 162 people asked when they would like to lose their virginity, 48.8% of the responders, 20 males out of 41, said they’d like to lose their virginity before college. 36.4% of females, 44 out of the 121 responders, agreed with Melissa and answered that they wanted to wait until “the time was right.” Still, losing their virginity before college was a close second, getting 35.5% of the responses, with 43.
“I think losing your virginity is a lot different for guys and girls,” senior Jack said. “Sex has a lot more emotional implications for them than for guys, and that’s understandable because of how much more of a risk they are taking when having sex.”
With pregnancy and potentially contracting an STI being risks for girls, trust plays a big role in when they want to lose their virginity. “I need to find a guy that I am comfortable with, and that I know I can trust before I lose my virginity,” senior Sarah said. “If that happens before college and I know I’m ready, then great. But, if not, it’s not the end of the world, I’m fine with waiting.”
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