THE TIMING OF THE BIRDS AND BEES

We’ve mostly moved on from that prehistoric time when sex out of wedlock was considered taboo, but the questions surrounding virginity – how and when it should be lost – are still often discussed in hushed tones. Despite increasingly progressive views on sex, we tend to treat virginity as though it’s one of the most precious gifts a person can give another. But is a dude “trying to find his way in” for the first time really a gift? It’s certainly not on everyone’s wish list.

However, teenagers everywhere are subject to the pressure of “losing it” – as though virginity is a bad attitude. And while there’s no such thing as the right age to lose your virginity (or even if you do at all), according to the pop culture hive mind, there’s certainly a better age to lose it. From Cruel Intentions to American Pie, that ideal time has, for the most part, been decided for us as the iconic age of 18.

The fortunate thing about losing your virginity near the end of high school is that it’s a chapter in your life that never bears repeating. Things happen that would (or should) only happen in that era. If you happen to lose your virginity in the dingy wood-panelled basement of a guy named Steve or a girl named Nancy, and the next day it feels like every single person knows about your three-and-a-half minutes of shame, don’t worry – absolutely no one will remember it the second they hit university.

In high school, you can live an entire paperback romance in the span of a week and it can forever be labeled your first love. You can get a little drunk on your older friend’s secret case of beer and only half remember a sloppy make-out. Whatever the case, it’s one and done.

Whenever the first time happens, it’s going to be awkward, most likely painful, and almost always tinged with some regret. So why not not wrap it up before you enter the next phase of your life? After all, we all know what happens to the person entering post secondary education while tightly clutching their V-Card.

Checking this one little thing off your list beforehand means if anyone asks, you can shrug, maybe even give the nod, and say, “Yeah, I’ve been there.” And all of a sudden, what feels like the biggest thing in the world becomes a non-issue – exactly as it should be.