Coming to college for the first time is full of thrills–meeting new people, going to parties, pursuing your passion and immersing yourself in all that college entails. But with every thrill comes some reluctance–especially when it comes to sex if you are still a virgin.
Although there is so much pressure from the outside, there are still girls who maintain their virginity in college. It is easier for those who have a support system of good friends who will respect that decision, even if it is not the same one they choose to make.
Allie*, a sophomore at UNC, says that coming to college as a virgin was definitely the best decision for her, now looking back at her freshman year. “I came to college very grounded and with the conviction that I wasn’t going to rush sex,” she says. “I don’t like randomly hooking up with guys, so I knew I wanted to wait for the person who it would just feel right with. And that person was my boyfriend who I went on to date for 9 months, so I can say it is a decision I do not regret.”
Then there is the other side of college virginity (or rather, a lack thereof). 58% of girls claim to have had sex by the age of 18. Of that number, 72% lost their virginity to a steady partner, not someone they had just met or barely knew.
Of the remaining 42% of girls who come to college as virgins, nearly one-third will remain abstinent through graduation. Don’t those numbers surprise you? The statistics, and the truth, are much more satisfying than society will have us believe. It is inspiring to know that girls are making decisions for themselves and sticking to their guns, so to speak.
Although you will definitely feel the pressure to have sex at some point in your college experience, by no means is it wrong to say no! Make a promise to yourself to take each day in stride. You can make it a goal to have sex when you are comfortable and have no inhibitions, and in turn, you will be setting an example for the future class of girls that will share your same experience.
*Name has been changed.
Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_024.pdf
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-ATSRH.html
http://www.beliefnet.com/News/2001/08/One-Third-Of-College-Women-Are-Virgins-Study-Says.aspx
Hook Up (Photo): Weheartit, http://weheartit.com/entry/16761906
College Relationship (Photo): Campus Crush 101, http://campuscrush101.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/7-reasons-sex.jpg
Married Couple (Photo): Families.osu.edu, http://families.osu.edu/stages-of-life/img/wedding_couple.jpg
Happy Girl (Photo): Healthystyleny, http://www.healthystyleny.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/happy-girl.png