Cherry Poppin Poll

[geminigirl]

I spend a lot of time talking about "virginity" at work. This should surprise no one. There's a lot of discussion/debate about what virginity really means-about engaging in "risky behaviors" like oral or anal sex and still saying that one is a virgin, and so on. So I ask you all the following:


[Poll #288994]

Comments

[papertigers.livejournal.com]

the format of the first question is a bit awkward; i'd consider anyone who's had oral, anal, vaginal, or other penetrative sex not a virgin. also, the 4th and 5th options of the first question exclude being the pentrator. the last two questions seem to be asking the same thing. could just be me, though.

[geminigirl]

The first question uses check boxes because that way people can choose more than one answer.

The two questions that look very similar are the same question twice to incorporate people who define multiple virginities-like boy virginity and girl virginity.

[pinkfish.livejournal.com]

I was briefly confused by this, until I realized that for any of the definitions of virginity I might use, the answer was the same.

[dglenn.livejournal.com]

In case you're interested (and don't already know): misia is in the middle of writing a book about virginity. Virginity-related topics show up in her journal from time to time, including, IIRC, a similar poll (if you want to see how a different sample responded).

[geminigirl]

I actually had no idea. Thank you for the pointer.

(This was just informal, unscientific, things I think about in the shower types of research.)

[malte.livejournal.com]

I don't get this thing about penetration - I thought virginity was about not having had sex. Why having a foreign body in one of your orifices should be more dramatic than, say, eating an ice lolly is kind of beyond me. I guess it's just another one of those time-honoured traditions designed to keep women in their place.

[papertigers.livejournal.com]

define sex please. that's the point. and, err, for most people having a foreign object in your lower orifices is a distinct physical and psychological sensation from eating an ice lolly (is that 'popsicle' in english? ;)).

[malte.livejournal.com]

define sex please.

Yup, that's where the trouble lies, and your point about non-consensual sex is a good one. Either we allow varying definitions of 'sex' and 'virginity', which I think we kind of have to, or we're stuck with penises and hymens and huge numbers of sexually active virgins.

As for the sensations, well, I think they're mostly psychological. Otherwise (to take a slightly less wild example) I could argue I lost my virginity to the doctor who examined my prostate 15-odd years ago. Or the thing he used to do it...

[papertigers.livejournal.com]

hrm. am i the only survivor here who doesn't count nonconsensual sex when considering virginity?

cuz, if i did, i lost my virginity at 3. :(

[geminigirl]

I think whether you do or don't is a very personal thing-for some people "age at first intercourse" would be a vastly different thing than "virginity" and for others, not.

So really, it's about how you define it.

[shirleym.livejournal.com]

No, you're not the only one.