Column: Keeping your virginity doesn’t mean you’re losing your mind

By Gabie Bacques

Twenty-year-old virgin? Don’t worry.

The pressures to have sex are just as prevalent as they were at age 15. In our culture it’s widely accepted, and sometimes even encouraged, to engage in sexual intercourse before marriage.

With the media and sexual movements of our generation, the ins and outs of uncommitted intercourse are often overlooked. We have grown to ignore the emotional and traditional role of sex and to portray it as a normal, healthy part of life as long as we use contraceptives.

Not everyone agrees with this modern depiction of a very intimate bond, and they shouldn’t feel ashamed.

It may seem like virgins are extinct in the college community, but the numbers don’t lie. According to a study by Paula England of Stanford University, 24 percent of college seniors claim to be virgins. That may be a small number, obviously the minority, but significant nonetheless.

Times have indeed changed since the start of the sexual revolution, but many problematic aspects still remain. Young women still feel guilt and pressure about having sex, and double-standards are still prominent. If women are equal with men, they can be just as promiscuous. But if women act promiscuously, they are portrayed as awful people.

We may be quick to judge women and give them bad reputations, but guys are equally responsible for maintaining their own integrity.

If you aren’t part of the norm and made it to college untouched, congratulations — though it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll leave that way. However, it is possible to remain sex-free throughout college and many students realize the benefits of doing so.

Dr. Joe S. Mcllhaney told Congress that 5 to 6 million STDs are transmitted annually to people ages 20-24. In case you didn’t know, Baton Rouge is a leading city in the country for HIV and AIDS, with New Orleans not far away on the list. Something most “Reggie Rats” don’t consider on a Thursday night is that many of these infections don’t show physical symptoms. The love just keeps spreading throughout our community.

Aside from STDs, the risk of bearing illegitimate children is enough for some people to skip a night of pleasure.

Though the physical consequences of premarital sex have been drilled into our heads since the fifth grade, people often overlook the most destructive side effect of casual premarital sex. Psychologically, losing one’s virginity can take a toll on school, daily life, and relationships, causing stress, distrust and jealousy. This may result from how we were raised, but studies also show the negative consequences of cohabitation. Couples who live together before getting hitched have a much higher divorce rate, and are also more likely to be involved in an abusive relationship, according to the website MarriageRomance.com.

If you aren’t financially, physically and emotionally stable to handle the consequences of sex, don’t do it.

Yes, there are ways to help prevent these things. However, contraceptives are not 100 percent guaranteed to protect against the endless negative effects of sex, not to mention the health risks involved with birth-control pills. Some people are not okay with taking those chances, and they will likely have more successful relationships because of it.

I’m not debunking protection or being responsible if you do decide to have sex, but there’s more to being safe than popping a pill. Being responsible and mature doesn’t mean using a condom and drugs to protect your body from the inevitable consequences of engaging in sexual activity. It means putting things into perspective.

Are you going to enjoy telling your future spouse about all the people you’ve slept with?

Read more here: http://www.lsureveille.com/opinion/the-g-spot-keeping-your-virginity-doesn-t-mean-you-re-losing-your-mind-1.2620281
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