Can A Virgin Ever Find Love?

Dear Dude,
I'm a college sophomore and still a virgin. I've had my fair share of "almosts" and do enjoy the occasional heavy petting but I have yet to go "all the way." I'm not waiting for marriage but I am waiting for a serious relationship with someone I can trust. I used to be confident in my decision (I mean, so what?) and felt no pressure to lose my virginity but lately I've been feeling like being a virgin is hurting my chances of finding that someone. College Candy: First Date Sex

The problem is the handful of boys that I've started relationships with in college (emphasis on the word started because it never gets very far) initially say they respect the fact that I am a virgin. However, when that boy finds out that I'm REALLY not going to have sex with him (like never, ever) I don't hear from him again. And when I try to hide the fact that I'm a virgin guys get mad at me for being a "tease" and disappear, too.

So basically I don't want to lose my virginity because I'm waiting for "the right" relationship but I feel like being a virgin is preventing me from having ANY relationship. It's a never ending cycle! Everyone around me is telling me to stick it out and wait for "the one," but the thought of going through my college career without a real relationship is depressing. So dude, why do guys run away when they find out I'm a virgin? How does a virgin get a guy to stick around? Should I just give it up and get it over with? Or should I start filling out applications for the nearest nunnery?

Sincerely,
Not Necessarily DTF

Dear Not Necessarily DTF,

If you don't want to lose it, don't lose it. I'm pro-choice, not just when it comes to abortion or virginity but in terms of life. There's always a choice. What's unfair is when it feels like the choice you're making is depriving you of something you want. Which sounds like the dilemma you're dealing with. College Candy: Swiping The V-Card

Guys "run" from virgins for a few different reasons and myths: they don't feel confident enough to be the sexually more experienced partner (because some of them barely have more than you), they're afraid that a virgin will be bad in the sack (a harsh judgment, but one many a frat boy has made) and then there's the responsibility factor. When a guy has a choice of taking a girl's V-card there's something in them that provokes the thought, "do I want to be somebody's first?"

For the guys who don't want a relationship, they might be scared that being someone's first will automatically give the girl the impression that they're in a relationship. In this peon's brain, sex automatically equals commitment.

Another question of responsibility is whether the guy feels comfortable being the measuring stick for the rest of the girl's life. They think that's a lot of weight on their shoulders. Again, this is a guy who is NOT looking for a relationship, just a hook up.

The aforementioned two examples are acting out of ego and crappy juvenile knowledge gained at their 8th grade lunch table. Like that Mountain Dew reduces sperm count.

Now there is the opposite type of mental midget: the guy who flocks toward virgins. This specimen loves nothing better than to plant his flag. In fact, he plants his flag everywhere he can and sees it as a benevolent act. This is also a creature to be weary of and avoided if what you want is something serious. Handle with latex gloves and a Hazmat suit at all times.

If you put value on your purity (to use a euphemism straight from Sophocles), then treat it with the appropriate value. I'm not saying keep your standards unreasonably high, demanding an IQ, blood, driving, or DNA tests and having them display a detailed financial portfolio with his five-year plan outlined in Calibri font. But don't lose it for the sake of losing it. You're devaluing yourself and it's a decision that will nag at you, most likely, for the rest of your life, certainly having consequences on the next guy you get involved with.

Lying isn't the answer either. I've written in other columns dealing with the "should I/shouldn't I" question that lying denotes shame and you need not be ashamed of being a virgin. There are a lot of people in their early 20s with their virtue intact. So don't feel alone.

The best thing I can say is this: those who pressure you for something you clearly don't want to do are not acting out of affection for you. Negative influences like those needed to be confronted and told to chill the f**k out and let them worry about their own sex lives instead of yours.

You've got to make the decision as to who the "right" guy is. I recommend someone who you trust and makes you feel comfortable. A guy like that is out there and if you're not finding him, it's probably NOT just about you being a virgin. College Candy: I Regret The Way I Lost My Virginity

Keeping the torch lit,
Marathon Dude

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