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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Aberdeen chapter.

The hymen can determine if you have lost your virginity. 

As much as this is one is rooted in society, it is a myth. There is no single physical trait that can determine virginity or sexual activity. It has recently been discovered that the hymen isn’t a fixed part of our anatomy, and over time can be worn away. 

Sole queer sexual intercourse means you haven’t lost your virginity. 

The idea that heterosexual intercourse is the only way to lose your virginity is a problematic social concept surrounding virginity. This outlook dismisses the sexual experience of people who are queer. The loss of one’s virginity is solely for them to understand and appreciate. 

The event of losing your virginity only happens once. 

The discourse around losing and taking virginity is problematic as it provides a culture of shame around sex. Instead, many believe that people have multiple virginities as they have many firsts, for example, a bisexual person can have many firsts in terms of queer experiences and heterosexual experiences. This allows people to define their own sexual journeys. 

Abstinence is the best option. 

Studies have proven that many people fail abstinence, and it can lead to an unsatisfying sex life. It depends on the people in the relationship but shouldn’t be forced on anyone. 

Slut-shaming protects women. 

Slut-shaming does not protect women from either unwanted comments or rape. Slut-shaming continues the cycle of shame and silence that surrounds sex, making it harder to empower women and provide them with adequate sex education. It puts women at more risk by encouraging people to harass and belittle them based on the choice they make about their own bodies. 

Sex-shaming prevents unwanted teen pregnancies and STIs. 

This is simply untrue. Teen pregnancies and STIs happen as sex education is not given to teens as a ramification of sex-shaming. Instead, sex education should be improved and be made freely available.