Sex is everywhere. It’s in the movies, news, politics and all around us in college. I never found sex awkward to talk about. I was lucky enough to have parents who talked to me about being safe and helped me open up and talk about things when I needed to.
Needless to say, they prepared me in the best way that they could. They had no control over when it happened, but they put trust in knowing that I would be smart about it.
So, what is the appropriate age to lose your V-card? The answer is simple. Whenever you feel like you are ready.
As kids, we are told that our first time is going to be this life-changing moment. We build this perfect scenario in our head.
But no one I know had this moment. The when and where vary by person, but guess what? The first time will always be an awkward experience, even when you are ready.
It may not be the most perfect moment, as the movies build it up to be. But as long as it’s with someone you care about, then it doesn’t matter if you are 16 or 35 when it happens.
Even though the stereotypical college student is believed to drink and sleep around, new statistics show that virginity among students is on the rise.
A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics found that 27 percent of men and 29 percent of women between ages 15-24 have never had sexual contact with another person.
Both percentages have increased by 5 to 7 percent since 2002.
They haven’t been able to confirm why the numbers are rising, but maybe people aren’t as embarrassed to admit that they have never had any type of sexual contact with another person. After all, is it really that big of a deal?
Writing this column was difficult for me because people place so much judgment on sex. I admit that I have called people bad names for sleeping around. But as I got older, I stopped really caring about how many people someone I knew in high school slept with.
My only concern is about the person that I’m with and if they were safe in the past.
People need to stop judging others on actions that don’t involve them. I have a friend who is still a virgin, and she is great. She’s cute and fun to party with, but it just hasn’t happened yet.
Who am I to judge someone who isn’t ready to have sex? On the flip side, people who are still virgins shouldn’t bash on the people that aren’t.
Having sex doesn’t automatically make you a “slut.” That term can really hurt someone. Try not to worry about what other people are doing and just focus on yourself.
This column isn’t a public service announcement telling you to stay abstinent. I’m not telling you to go out and sleep with random people, either.
There isn’t a certain age that a person should lose their virginity. And they shouldn’t be judged about their decision to do it or to wait.
Tell Lindsey about how awkward your first time was at lindsey.kupfer@asu.edu
