couples.hug.love.Between the reality shows, magazines, movies and everything else the media has given us, you would think everyone would have had their v-card swiped by now. Hopefully not children, but nowadays the average American loses their virginity at just 17 years old! 17! Like I said that’s the “average” person, meaning probably more than a handful have been significantly under the age of 17. And you can bet the age of children having sex will only get younger and younger. Why?

Sex is portrayed as a physical act, something that people just do. Yes, people may have sex when they are in love but they don’t necessarily have to be. The media has shown us “friends with benefits,” “open marriages,” “one night stands,” etc. It seems as if sex has lost it’s emotional appeal and is completely about the sexual release one gets through intercourse. It’s rare to meet someone who doesn’t see sex as an equivalent activity to going to the gym.

But there are people who haven’t let the media and society influence their perception of sex. Sex is still a beautiful thing that they hold close to their heart. These 20 something year old male and female virgins are staying virgins until they say “I do” to their husbands and wives.

couples.in.bed.image.-The reason I am waiting until marriage is because every woman in my family has waited. It’s a part of our culture. I have never felt pressure to have sex but I have also never been kissed. People may think I’m prude being a 22 year old un-kissed virgin but I want to be completely pure for my husband.  

-I always knew I wasn’t going to have sex with a man until he was my husband. My parents ingrained that idea in my head ever since I was a kid. I didn’t have a boyfriend until I was 24 and my first boyfriend was and still is my husband. 

-I didn’t decide to wait until marriage for religious reasons. I just didn’t want sex to influence the reason my future husband decided to propose to me. 

-I lost my virginity at a young age so I am what you call a “born again virgin.” I decided to wait until marriage because sex complicates things and relationships are complicated enough. 

There are negatives and positives to waiting to have sex until marriage. Some say it’s necessary to know everything about their partner, including their bodies. What if you get married and you two don’t have a physical attraction? But, at the end of the day it’s completely about the person and what they choose to do in their relationship. Who are we to judge either decision?