Virgin College Students' Reasons for and Reactions to Their Abstinence From Sex: Results From a 23-Year Study at a Midwestern U.S. University

Self-Blame Attribution: Concept Analysis and Application to HPV-Related Cancers

ABSTRACT

The attribution of self-blame for a negative physical health outcome can lead to further deterioration of one's mental and spiritual state. Using Walker and Avant's eight-step model for concept analysis, self-blame attribution is explored following the diagnosis of a human papillomavirus-related cancer in women. Conceptual case examples provide application of the concept to patient situations. Spiritual assessment tools for nurses caring for those who evidence self-blame are provided.

Sex differences in how ethnic-racial identity informs first coital affect and virginity beliefs among Black college students

Objective: The present study examined whether ethnic-racial identity (ERI) exploration, resolution, and affirmation informed individuals' beliefs about virginity (ie, virginity as a gift, stigma, process) and first coital affective reactions (FCAR; ie, positive and negative), and whether these relations varied by biological sex. Participants and method: The sample consisted of 184 Black college students (M_age = 19.79, SD = 2.08) enrolled in a large Southern university. Participants completed a virginity beliefs measure, first coital affective reaction measure, and an ethnic-racial identity measure. Results: Findings indicated that for Black females, greater ERI exploration was associated with decreased virginity as a gift beliefs; and ERI resolution was associated with increased virginity as a gift beliefs. Additionally, for Black males and females, ERI affirmation resulted in more positive FCAR, less negative FCAR, and less views of virginity as a stigma. Conclusion: Finding implications are presented in the context of future research.

A Vignette Study Analyzing Contextual Factors that Influence Emerging Adults' Definitions of Virginity Loss in German-Speaking Countries

Past research on virginity loss definitions revealed that emerging adults' definitions of virginity loss are associated with emerging adults' own sociodemographic characteristics. However, previous research has not systematically studied whether emerging adults applied different criteria for virginity loss depending on the context of the judged behavior. The current study used vignettes to explore which contextual factors of an intimate partnered behavior influence emerging adults' definition of virginity loss. Each of the 987 participants (75% women/25% men; M_age = 23.7, SD = 3.8) was assigned to one of 16 vignette conditions. The main character's gender, sexual orientation, and commitment to the partner were manipulated in the vignettes, describing the main character engaging in intimate partnered behavior with either a woman or a man. Participants had to indicate whether 13 intimate partnered behaviors qualified as virginity loss in the given context. Emerging adults applied different standards for virginity loss definitions depending on the involved partners' gender. They counted more behaviors as virginity loss in conditions where two people of the same gender engaged in intimate partnered behavior. Healthcare practitioners concerned with emerging adults' sexual health should be aware of these double standards for virginity loss definitions.

Correlates of Disclosure of Virginity Status Among U.S. College Students

Disclosure of virginity status (DVS) refers to the extent to which an individual reveals that they identify as a virgin or not to different individuals in their lives. The purpose of this study was to investigate how generalized self-disclosure, virginity beliefs, and religiosity, as well as interactions with gender and virginity status, relate to DVS to family, peers, and religious communities. Southern U.S. college students (N = 690) took an online sexuality questionnaire. Generalized self-disclosure did not relate to DVS, suggesting that DVS represents a unique form of self-disclosure. Gender by virginity status interactions suggested that societal double standards of gender and virginity status (i.e., non-virgin women and virgin men being stigmatized for their virginity identifications) may be most relevant to one's decision to disclose to family, and somewhat relevant to one's decision to disclose to religious communities. Individuals high in religiosity overall tended to disclose their virginity status when they identified as a virgin, but not as a non-virgin. Virgins concealed their virginity status from religious communities when they stigmatized their own virginity but disclosed to family and peers when they viewed virginity as a gift. Overall, the results suggest that, although religiosity and virginity beliefs indeed play a role in DVS toward certain targets, one's gender and virginity status appear to be most important. Increased education on the double standard regarding gender and virginity status may help reduce stigma and improve sexual well-being.

Reasons people refrain from sex in later life

There has been an increase in research on sexual activity in later life, yet far less is known about the actual perceptions and experiences of older adults who refrain from sexual activity. In the current study, a thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns in semi-structured interviews with 47 older adults, aged 60-91. The analysis yielded seven themes that describe why older adults refrain from sex: 1) avoiding confronting sexual dysfunctions, 2) avoiding confronting the aging body, 3) avoiding performance anxiety, 4) being uninterested in sexual activity, 5) taking time to grieve the loss of a partner, 6) avoiding judgment, and 7) seeing sexuality as evolving and changing. Themes were organized according to the bio-psycho-social perspective and based on the axis of personal (self-focused) and interpersonal (partner-focused) motives. It is perfectly acceptable for people to refrain from sexual activity for their own reasons. However, if older adults want to remain sexually active, they should receive complete information about the many possibilities of treating different sexual problems in later life and about the many ways, beyond sexual penetration, one can enjoy sexual activity even in old age.

Oral-Genital Contact and the Meaning of "Had Sex": The Role of Social Desirability

Previous studies have found that a large proportion of college students do not consider oral-genital contact as having "had sex." In all studies, the questions posed were hypothetical. In the present study, university students were asked about their own personal sexual experiences. From a large pool of participants, two subgroups were identified: those who responded "No" to having "had sex" but responded "Yes" to having had oral-genital contact (No-Yes), and those who responded "Yes" to having had both sex and oral-genital contact (Yes-Yes). None of the participants in these two subgroups self-reported vaginal or anal intercourse. The No-Yes group was significantly higher in social desirability (p < .0005) as measured by the Marlowe-Crowne scale and was also significantly higher in religiosity (p < .01) as measured on a 7-point Likert scale. There was a modest correlation between level of religiosity and social desirability (r = .25, p < .01). It was concluded that many students who have had oral-genital contact but deny having had sex do so because of impression management, i.e., a desire to present themselves more positively. These results provide further evidence that social desirability responding is a serious problem for sex researchers, one that affects even the most basic questions about having had sex.

Development of strategies to promote healthy sexuality based on Iranian girls perspective about the role of virginity in the construction of their sexuality: an explanatory sequential mixed method study protocol

Background

The modern Iran is a blend of tradition and modernity, but its dominant culture is still traditional and takes pride in female virginity. On the other hand, the influential factors such as modernity, education, social networks, global communication, influence from advanced Western societies, have obviously led to the emergence of a freer sexual attitude associated with less significance of virginity. Since the traditional, cultural and religious significance of virginity among Iranian girls can shape their sexual behaviors, therefore, the aim of the present study is development of strategies to promote healthy sexuality based on Iranian girls perspective about the role of virginity in the construction of their sexuality.

Methods/design

This is a two-stage study; an explanatory sequential mixed-methods follow-up design will be employed in the first stage, which consists of two quantitative and qualitative phases. The first phase is the cross-sectional survey that will be conducted on 700 single girls born in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The sample will be selected using the cluster sampling method in the health centers of Tabriz-Iran. The determined sample size will be divided among the selected health centers based on the quota criterion, and eligible households will be selected randomly from the said centers using the SIB website (sib.tbzmed.ac.ir). To collect the required data in the quantitative phase, we will use a researcher-made questionnaire to evaluate the girls’ views about virginity and its influential factors, designed based on the theory of “social construction of sexuality”. After quantitative data collection and analysis, the findings inform qualitative data collection and analysis. The qualitative phase of the study will be conducted on girls living in Tabriz using in-depth and semi-structured individual interviews and purposive sampling method to collect the required qualitative data. The collected data will be analyzed using the conventional content analysis approach. The findings of two phase will be integrated for further explanation and interpretation to be used in the second stage. In the second phase of this study, a nominal group meeting will be held with the participation of reproductive and sexual health experts. The strategies extracted from the results of the first phase and review the texts in this meeting will be provided to experts and after receiving the opinions and ideas of the relevant group of experts and prioritizing them, appropriate strategies to improve and promote the healthy sexuality of Iranian girls will be presented.

Discussion

This study is one of the few studies conducted in the field of sexual health and culture in Iran, that using a “mixed-methods” approach to determine and explain the role of virginity in the construction of the sexuality from the Iranian girls perspective. We hope that this study can present evidence-based documents from the latest physical, psychological and social developments in young Iranian girls’ sexuality and that the presented healthy sexuality promotion strategies, which will be based on Iranian socio-cultural developments, can provide the basic information required for policy-making and planning for young girls’ sexual health. It is also hoped that the findings of this study will be useful in culture-based sexuality education and support for reproductive and sexual health care for the young Iranian generation.

Custom, culture and religion in many communities impose virginity on the women of their communities. According to the traditional and conservative Iranian culture, premarital sexual relations are forbidden, female virginity is honor, and it is valuable and necessary for a girl to maintain and take care of her virginity. Attitudes toward sexual relationship and its moral aspects have changed dramatically in many parts of the world in recent decades. Iran, as a conservative society, is no exception to this rule and has experienced substantial social and attitudinal changes over the past decades. This is a two-stage study; an explanatory sequential mixed-methods follow-up design will be employed in the first stage, which consists of two quantitative and qualitative phases. At first quantitative data collection and analysis will be conducted, then the findings inform qualitative data collection and analysis. The findings of two phase will be integrated for further explanation and interpretation to be used in the second stage. In the second stage of the study, the researchers will develop appropriate strategies for the girls’ sexual health promotion by a combination of the relevant experts’ views obtained in the nominal group meeting and the results extracted from a review of literature as well as the results of the quantitative and qualitative phases of the first stage. it seems that the present study, by employing a better quantitative and qualitative approach, can clarify the young generation’s view in the socio-cultural background of Iran and explore the possible inconsistency and contradictions in the modern Iranian society to determine whether the traditional view of the concept of virginity in Iran is still dominant, or it has been changed by factors such as modernization, global communications, influence from advanced Western societies.

Virgins at age 26: who are they?

Background Studies on virgins remain scarce. This study explores the characteristics of virgin young adults, the reasons for remaining virgin, and its potential social and health implications.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the 2017 Swiss study on sexual health and behaviour among young adults. A total of 5175 participants (mean age 26 years ± 0.01) were divided into virgins and non-virgins. Virginity was defined as never having had a sexual partner, defined as a person with whom the participant has had sexual contact with or without penetration.

RESULTS

A total of 275 (5.3% (95% CI: 4.7-6.0), 58% males) were virgins. Virgins had higher odds of being male (aOR: 2.27 (95% CI: 1.62-3.17)) and reporting poorer health (1.43 (1.07-1.92)). They had lower odds of living on their own (0.24 (0.18-0.32)), being satisfied with their social life (0.78 (0.72-0.85)), having experimented with substances (e.g. drunkenness, 0.27 (0.19-0.67)) and having used online dating (0.52 (0.26-1.12)) or pornography (0.67 (0.42-0.94)). The main reason for remaining virgin was 'I have not found the right person' for females, and 'I have not had the occasion' for males.

CONCLUSIONS

Among young adults, 1 in 20 is a virgin. Virgins do not seem to have gone through the usual experimentations of adolescence, are less socially driven and reported more health challenges. The main reason for remaining a virgin reveals gender-stereotyped responses. Sexual inactivity among young adults should be considered by health professionals to ensure the absence of distress and open discussion for potential questions.

Links between Virginity Beliefs, Negative Feelings after Virginity Loss and Sexual Performance Anxiety in a Sample of German-Speaking Heterosexual-Identified Women and Men

Gender norms can influence women and men adopting different beliefs toward their own virginity. The current online cross-sectional questionnaire study was applied in a sample of German-speaking heterosexual-identified women (n = 536) and men (n = 181; M_age = 23.6, SD = 3.7). In men negative virginity loss experiences and sexual performance anxiety were especially prevalent when virginity loss occurred at an age that was inconsistent with men's virginity beliefs. In women age at virginity loss was not linked to virginity loss experiences or sexual performance anxiety, but the holding of virginity beliefs that deviated from gender norms was associated with those variables.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2021.1958963 .

Changes in psychological distress after first vaginal intercourse in late adolescence

INTRODUCTION

Although early sexual intercourse may be associated with increased depressive symptoms, little research has examined whether first intercourse in late adolescence is associated with changes in mental health.

METHODS

This paper uses 3 years of longitudinal data from previously sexually abstinent late adolescent students at a large state university in the northeastern United States (N = 144, 53.5% male, M age = 18.5 years old, 47.2% White, 26.4% Asian/Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 20.1% Hispanic/Latino, 18.1% Black/African American) to examine whether levels of psychological distress changed after first intercourse.

RESULTS

Students' distress decreased after first intercourse, although this effect was only significant two or more semesters after first intercourse. There were no gender differences in these associations.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest first intercourse was, on average, associated with decreased psychological distress for both male and female late adolescents.

Has Virginity Lost Its Virtue? Relationship Stigma Associated With Being a Sexually Inexperienced Adult

While virginity prior to marriage has been historically valued, changing sociosexual scripts in the United States have made premarital sexual activity the norm for young adults, with sexual debut generally occurring in late adolescence. In the current research, we examined the impact of being developmentally off-time with first coitus (i.e., not yet engaging in coitus when most same-aged peers have done so). Specifically, we investigated stigma toward sexually inexperienced adults and discrimination regarding romantic relationship formation. Across three methodologically diverse studies we observed that sexually inexperienced adults perceived themselves to be stigmatized due to their inexperience and that sexually inexperienced adults were not highly desired as relationship partners. Even sexually inexperienced adults themselves did not find other inexperienced adults to be attractive relationship partners. Although abstaining from sexual activity may bestow some health advantages, our studies show that being a sexual "late bloomer" may result in negative interpersonal consequences such as limited opportunities for romantic relationships.

Sexual Inactivity During Young Adulthood Is More Common Among U.S. Millennials and iGen: Age, Period, and Cohort Effects on Having No Sexual Partners After Age 18

Examining age, time period, and cohort/generational changes in sexual experience is key to better understanding sociocultural influences on sexuality and relationships. Americans born in the 1980s and 1990s (commonly known as Millennials and iGen) were more likely to report having no sexual partners as adults compared to GenX'ers born in the 1960s and 1970s in the General Social Survey, a nationally representative sample of American adults (N = 26,707). Among those aged 20-24, more than twice as many Millennials born in the 1990s (15 %) had no sexual partners since age 18 compared to GenX'ers born in the 1960s (6 %). Higher rates of sexual inactivity among Millennials and iGen also appeared in analyses using a generalized hierarchical linear modeling technique known as age-period-cohort analysis to control for age and time period effects among adults of all ages. Americans born early in the 20th century also showed elevated rates of adult sexual inactivity. The shift toward higher rates of sexual inactivity among Millennials and iGen'ers was more pronounced among women and absent among Black Americans and those with a college education. Contrary to popular media conceptions of a "hookup generation" more likely to engage in frequent casual sex, a higher percentage of Americans in recent cohorts, particularly Millennials and iGen'ers born in the 1990s, had no sexual partners after age 18.

"Dude, I'm Seventeen … It's Okay Not to Have Sex by This Age": Feelings, Reasons, Pressures, and Intentions Reported by Adolescents Who Have Not Had Sexual Intercourse

This study investigated feelings, reasons, pressures, and previous sexual experiences reported by students who have not had sexual intercourse and how these factors are associated with self-rated likelihood of having sex during the next year. Using data from the Fifth National Survey of Australian Secondary Students and Sexual Health (n = 783), this study found, in general, students had positive feelings about not having sex. Reasons for not having sex such as being proud to say no and not being ready were rated higher in importance than fear of potential outcomes or religious/cultural beliefs. Students reported limited pressure from parents and friends and, despite not having sexual intercourse, more than half of the sample had experienced some form of sexual activity. Stronger likelihoods of having sex during the next year were reported by students who had previously engaged in other sexual practices, reported more pressure from friends to have sex, and had negative feelings about not having sex. Sexuality educators can use these findings to guide approaches to sex education, emphasizing feelings, intentions, and reasoning over fear tactics. Discussion of a range of sexual practices will address more closely the experiences of young students as they begin their sexual lives.