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[–]Derigiberble 142 points143 points  (17 children)

Dated for a few years, lived together for several, then got married. It was an absolute disaster.

We both had grown up in South Carolina and in addition to a cultural aversion to discussion of sex in any way, especially as it related to women, the sex ed pretty much consisted of fear-mongering about pregnancy and how no birth control actually works (so don't have sex!). So what did that lead to? A huge fear of sex on her part which manifested as extreme vaginismus. Of course nobody fucking told us about that being a thing so we just chalked it up to first time pain. Then second time pain.. then third..

By the time we figured out what it was "sex=unbearable pain" was firmly cemented in her subconscious, despite us never actually managing more than an inch or two of penetration. However she always felt guilty about not wanting sex because she had been raised around the message that's a woman's duty in marriage. But also she was terrified of pregnancy (but a fear of going to the gyno to get on the pill because a speculum might as well be a medieval torture instrument when you have vaginismus) so one attempt (with protection) in the month would lead to stress for the rest of the month about being pregnant. Doing non piv sex stuff like had done before marriage was awful as well because she would feel like a failure and want to try and I would dread her asking because that meant hurting someone you cared about.

Eventually her libido cratered and the usual sexless relationship story took over and everything became about sex. If I did the dishes early she would think I was just trying to get points for sex later, etc. After three and a half years I asked for a divorce.

Took several years to work myself back to a good place and now I'm engaged to someone who I click with on every possible level, but most importantly we are comfortable talking with each other about anything so issues get worked out before they become major problems.

Also my first person experience in one way which patriarchal social mores can screw over both women and men led to me becoming a pretty strong feminist, so there's that too.

[–]Darkanglesmyname 29 points30 points  (11 children)

This story hits me pretty hard. I've been dating my bf for 3yrs, we had sex 6 months in. I wasn't raised with fear-mongering about sex, aside from the "the first time will always hurt" stuff. Yet I still had a TON of pain when it came to penetration. Was it purely psychological or something physical? I still don't have an answer for that.

I can relate to your ex all too well. That part about the gyno was BEYOND TRUE for me. And the pregnancy paranoia (even with pills and condoms....im only 22 I get to be paranoid about this stuff). And the part about feeling like a failure because its "a woman's duty"...etc. Wayyyy too accurate. Yes I know I shouldn't think like that...but...I just did.

Fortunately, I finally am able to have sex now. The only thing different was changing to durex lubed condoms (and using a vibrator but that was super recent). So I just wanted to let you know that, yes, these things are possible to treat. It just takes a long time. Maybe some people can't be treated, I don't know. Sorry for venting under your post. If I read this a month ago I would've cried and thought "That's what my future is gonna be"

[–]greffedufois 7 points8 points  (3 children)

I was raised with the no sex before marriage spiel too. I found a good method of birth control that eases worries is an IUD. I had a paraguard placed 2 years ago and it's awesome. No need to worry about running out of condoms or it ripping. No worry over forgotten pills. All you have to do is check your strings when you shower and it takes 2 seconds. It's pretty great. I'll probably have it removed if my fiancé and I decide to have kids one day, but it may be a while since we're only 25. It's non hormonal too, which was one of my few options since I can't have any hormones because of medical issues. It lasts 10 years too. So I could be protected till I'm 33 if I wanted to. If you are able to have hormones you could go with a mirena IUD which I've heard are nice too. If you're in a committed relationship you don't have to worry about pregnancy or STIs. I found that condoms gave me UTIs quite often, and once I got my IUD they stopped. Now my fiancé and I can enjoy ourselves any time we want without having to worry about anything.

Speculums are sucky, but if you stress out about them and the gyno then you're just making things harder for yourself. It's the same with sex, if you expect it to hurt you're going to tense up and cause more discomfort for yourself. Be sure that when you become intimate with someone that you're completely comfortable with each other and you're both ready for it. I wish you the best of luck.

[–]Gentle_on_my_mind 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I waited until marriage as well after over three years of dating. Religious reasons. Found our sex life lagging majorly due to (what i thought) as me being undesirable. :/ I could not have an orgasm with just penetration and I thought something was wrong with me. Thankfully decent communication got us through the first 8 months but it was awful. I was using carefully calculated ovulation schedules to avoid getting pregnant. Long story short, I found out after I finally got the Paraguard (at his urging and research because I didn't want hormones) that my new husband was actually petrified of getting pregnant even though I ovulated like clockwork. After it was placed, the reins came off! Great stuff. In conclusion, I think waiting for marital sex was good for us not because of the amazing marital sex (lol), but because of the self-control and personal respect garnered for each other. Also we kept it to ourselves and never told anyone so it's not like I was parading it around like every other Christian girl married to Jesus. lol. Which makes me so much better than them. jk. The Paraguard has been around for ages and is barely used and it is sincerely the best thing ever created and I tell everyone about it. It's good for 10 years, no lasting side effects, no hormones and you can check it yourself. WHY WOULD YOU WANT A PILL that makes you fat, moody and breast-cancer-y and DVT-y? I think they had to dust off my Paraguard box before inserting it because no one ever asks for one. Uggh

[–]greffedufois 0 points1 point  (1 child)

My gyn actually recommended it because she knew my medical history. I'm not allowed anything hormonal so my options were quite limited. Condoms were a pain because you can't really be spontaneous and I often got UTIs from them (even when I peed after, every time) and there's no way we are going to use something like rhythm or pulling out because that's just stupid. I love my paraguard. It's great. Having it placed was horrific though and hurt like holy hell. I get horrible cramping during my period but I had that before so I don't know if it's from the IUD or just exacerbated by it.

[–]Gentle_on_my_mind 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I guess I'm about 2 years out from getting it placed and the memory has faded lol but it was the worst thing I have ever done. I think I cried for a month from all the pain. And the PA who put it in was a huge jerk... Overall a horrible experience but I'm glad I stuck it through (took about 3 months to get back to baseline cramps). I'm glad you love yours. I do too!! No UTIs here either!

[–]Derigiberble 1 point2 points  (4 children)

So I just wanted to let you know that, yes, these things are possible to treat. It just takes a long time. Maybe some people can't be treated, I don't know. Sorry for venting under your post. If I read this a month ago I would've cried and thought "That's what my future is gonna be"

Yeah it can be successfully treated, although for some it is a long path. Good luck!

p.s. gonna suggest you visit /r/TrollXChromosomes just because it is an awesome place.

[–]Darkanglesmyname 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Thank you <3 mine is pretty much successfully treated (pain is very minimal now) with just having sex more often and switching condoms/lube. And vibrators help. But now I don't have much feeling so that's something I have to work on.

lol I've heard of trollX but I rarely visit. Why is it so awesome again?

[–]Derigiberble 0 points1 point  (2 children)

If you are giving various lubes a try you might want to see if a local shop has this one. Lasts longer than a pure water based and doesn't have a taste but isn't a pain to clean off everything like silicone-based lubes are. Compatible with toys as well.

Mostly trollx makes me laugh a lot with posts like this.

[–]Darkanglesmyname 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I actually posted another thread asking for help about lubes and someone recommended this one. I haven't tried it yet but thanks for the recommendation :) I've been using just regular astroglide forever (I used to use the aloe vera one but it burned)

[–]shewhofaps-wins 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Coconut oil changed my life - also a good lubricant. Make sure you test for an allergy before though.

[–]fierceandtiny 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I spent years crying in bathrooms after painful sex, having to get stupid drunk to be able to handle the pain and stress of sex, and feeling like a failure. I started thinking I must be asexual. Then with my fiancé it was like a switch flipped. Our first time together I had no pain. I actually enjoyed sex. It was a fucking revelation.

[–]Darkanglesmyname 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It really sucks because nobody warns women (in like health class or something) that this could be an issue. So when pain does happen, everyone is clueless. IMO it needs more awareness.

And I'm happy you found someone who's perfect for you :)

[–]cats22015 5 points6 points  (1 child)

going to the gyno to get on the pill because a speculum

Wait, you have to get a physical exam to get on the pill? They just give it to you here...

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Depends on the doctor and when the incident happened. In my younger days, you had to get a full exam to get the time of day from a gyno, let alone a 'scrip.

[–]fierceandtiny 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I suffered from this for a long time, and also with unbearable guilt because I wasn't satisfying the person I was with. Sounds like you gave it your best shot, and what's more you don't seem to resent her. It's awful to be so scared of something that is supposed to be fun and intimate.

It took me three partners to finally be able to have a functional bedroom life and I still get a reflexive aversion because I subconsciously fear that there will be pain again.

[–]greatgasby 96 points97 points  (30 children)

Well, I found out the hole is much...much lower....and boy did the lube see some serious action.

Takes a lot of time to get 'perfect' but otherwise its not bad. But sometimes a part of me wished I was experienced, as its taking a long time to get perfect. But the bigger part of is happy I shared an intimate thing with the love of my life.

[–]JazzFan419 6 points7 points  (10 children)

There's that old wives tale about the couple who went through the most painful first time sex ever in the history of man kind and it ended up the guy went in through the girls urethra for the same reason. didn't know the hole was so far down.

[–]YelrahRehguab 16 points17 points  (7 children)

There is no possible way to get your dick inside a womans urethra. The urethra is just too small.

Edit: I have now seen video evidence that I was wrong. But the people who can fit things as big as a dick in their urethra spend a lot of time slowly stretching it. Someone with no sexual experience will not be able to achieve it.

[–]aschmack 28 points29 points  (0 children)

You know it's rude to brag, right?

[–]Tyler10310 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I can share some videos that prove otherwise..

[–]TheNerdWithNoName 2 points3 points  (3 children)

Google 'amazing ty urethra fuck'. It is very possible.

[–]Jadis 5 points6 points  (1 child)

what what the the fuck fuck

[–]TheNerdWithNoName 1 point2 points  (0 children)

See? Very possible.

[–]ITypeThingsHere 4 points5 points  (0 children)

"amazing" does not go with the words "urethra fuck" in my mind.

[–]JazzFan419 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I was going to say "There's a few videos out there...."

[–]sephstorm 40 points41 points  (5 children)

Thank you for this story, but I want to add in another view here.

But the bigger part of is happy I shared an intimate thing with the love of my life

Just want to comment that you (a person) can dictate the level of intimacy. It doesn't matter if its the first person you've been with or the hundredth, if you choose to value them and the experience then you can make it special. I treasure all of my experiences

[–]greatgasby 34 points35 points  (0 children)

100% correct. What I meant was I am still happy that I had sex first time with someone who I love and later married, all the memories of us bumbling and fumbling figuring stuff out, even though frustrating sometimes, have been special. But your last line is true as well, a moment is as special as we think and make it to be.

[–]PotatoeCrusoe 13 points14 points  (1 child)

I don't think OP was demeaning anyone else's experience. The first time for any experience will hold a significant memory in our minds. OP just answered the question, and said he was glad that it was shared / continued with one person.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

It doesn't matter if its the first person you've been with or the hundredth

You can pretend, but there is no way your mindset and expectations with the 100th partner is the same as the first. There is no way the 100th anything is the same as the first.

[–]sephstorm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Few things don't change at all in life, sex is no different. Its not a bad thing.

[–]snorlz 9 points10 points  (7 children)

Well, I found out the hole is much...much lower

couldnt you have found this out by watching porn? they like to show off how close the two holes are. Sometimes, they even rapidly switch holes to demonstrate

[–]greatgasby 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Not really, porn is very different to actually doing it. In real I found it very low when I actually thought it was around the middle. Otherwise my penis was poking around in the wrong places....not a pleasant image I know X_X

[–]HopesAsh123 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You have your whole life to get it "perfect". Enjoy the learning and new experiences

[–]slinky999 141 points142 points  (23 children)

I waited with my first husband. We were both virgins. Little did I know that we were very sexually incompatible in many ways. This wasn't the main reason why we divorced, but it certainly was a contributor.

I don't want my kids to make the same mistake I did. Of course they know about birth control, emotional issues in relationships, waiting until you are ready, etc. You don't REALLY know someone until you've had sex and have lived with each other for a while, to be totally frank.

If I had lived with my ex before marriage, we likely never would have married.

[–]Megazor 73 points74 points  (15 children)

I think this is more common than people like to admit, but at that point it's too late.

I mean ffs sex is one of the pillars of any relationship and it baffles my mind how anyone would leave that to chance.

Would someone sign a 30 year mortgage without ever seeing the inside of a house?

[–]my1stnameisagent 31 points32 points  (14 children)

Yeah but why would a guy buy a cow when he can get the milk for free?!?!?!

Seriously though, I agree. Pre-marital sex is practice for the real thing. My personal opinion is that waiting until marriage is an old-fashioned idea based on a person's (typically the wife's) "value" as a spouse. And it likely came from the idea that sex in a marriage is pretty much for conception and little else. It's really only been in the last hundred years that we've started to see how important a healthy sexual relationship is between two (edit) married people.

[–]PlethoraDePinatas 25 points26 points  (3 children)

My dad used that line on me when I moved to Wyoming to be with a fiance and it didn't end up working out. I remember thinking, "You know I'm livestock in this metaphor, right, Dad? You just called your daughter a cow."

[–]theblaackout 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I'm curious lol what did he say?

[–]PlethoraDePinatas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't actually say that one out loud, haha.

[–]Choblach 9 points10 points  (3 children)

It's really only been in the last hundred years that we've started to see how important a healthy sexual relationship is between two (edit) married people.

This is a very popular and mostly untrue idea. History is a lot more complicated than that. A very short version is to say, most of the idea that sex is purely for reproduction comes from the second half of the 19th century. In fact, a valid reason for divorce in puritan towns was sexual incompatibility.

[–]kmarielynn 26 points27 points  (2 children)

Yeah but why would a guy buy a cow when he can get the milk for free?!?!?!

Because plenty of men want to get married and don't see their partner as someone only worth being with because of sex

[–]dramboxf 8 points9 points  (0 children)

When I met my wife, I couldn't WAIT to get married. Still took two years, but.... zero doubt in either of our minds.

[–]smokemonmast3r 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Besides, you buy the cow for the beef anyway

[–]blay12 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Relevant John Mulaney. Potato quality though.

[–]kjanzen29 2 points3 points  (1 child)

And keep in mind people used to get married typically at 14-15 historically. Most people waited till they were married yes but that's still when kids normally want to experience it even today

[–]TickledPear 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Maybe marraige age was that low a long, long time ago, but since at least early American history the average age of a first marraige has been close to 20 or above.

[–]TheAbbyNormal 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is exactly what happened to my ex-husband and me.

[–]erock255555 2 points3 points  (3 children)

Can you elaborate on how you and your first husband were sexually incompatible?

[–]slinky999 13 points14 points  (2 children)

Well, for starters, he had PE. I naively thought it would get better with time, but it didn't.

He refused to do oral on me, but then pressured me to do it on him. WTF ?

He was totally fine with once a month. I was not. Add this to both of us being anxious and unsure of ourselves, and there you go.

There were many, many other incompatibilities as well. I saw the signs but ignored them, which was my fault. It sucked to divorce but it was the right thing to do.

EDIT: He also showered roughly only 1-2 times a week, and only when I reminded him to like a 6-year-old. And since he WORKED AS A MECHANIC, he developed quite a funk after a couple of days. :X

[–]redauter 2 points3 points  (1 child)

What is PE?

[–]slinky999 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Premature ejaculation. Basically would only last a minute or less.

[–]erk155 0 points1 point  (1 child)

What do you mean by, sexually incompatible?

[–]slinky999 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I explained above, but there was a mismatch in drives, a mismatch in what I wanted vs. what he was willing to do, unfair pressure on me to do something that he was unwilling to do for me, plus he couldn't last more than 30-60 seconds. Simply put, our sex life sucked, and it was all about him and he wasn't willing to give back to me.

It didn't help that he didn't bother to shower more than once a week unless I told him to, even though he worked as a mechanic.

[–]7Finger 190 points191 points  (26 children)

Granted it's impossible for me to compare objectively because I don't know any other way.

My wife and I were both virgins when we got married right after college. I was 23 and she was 22. We've been married 25 years and I think our experience is pretty typical from what I've read and inferred from others. Sometimes it's pretty intense, other times we go through lulls. Having a sex life with kids in the house (any age) is difficult. (Sorry if any of my kids read this, but you're kind of a drag in this way.)

I don't regret it at all. There has never been any comparison or jealousy over previous relationships. There is no risk of disease or pregnancy. When I compare my life to people who have slept around I feel like I have it pretty good. Sex is complicated and it complicates relationships. I have told my kids that it is the most physically and emotionally vulnerable you will ever be with another person, and it's not something to be taken lightly.

[–]jwil191 65 points66 points  (1 child)

I moved home after college and was looking for a real job there. I had offer for another for a job in another state but wasn't sure if I was going to take it. I passed out at my brothers house after drinking with him. I got up around 7 to go work out and when I came home my parents were banging in the living room.

I took the job and moved

[–]donutsfornicki 48 points49 points  (0 children)

They did that on purpose.

[–]Fermats_Last_Account 4 points5 points  (1 child)

So to answer OP question which you did, how was it the first time?

[–]7Finger 15 points16 points  (0 children)

To be completely honest, I don't remember. So, I guess, forgettable. There have been plenty of times since then that I remember quite vividly, so it doesn't bother me.

[–]lancashire_lad 29 points30 points  (2 children)

You realise that "not waiting until marriage to have sex" doesn't necessarily mean "sleeping around", right? My wife and I married in our 30s and both had prevoius sexual partners, but only in long term relationships. We've never had jealously over previous partners and I entirely agree with your last sentence. I just also think that the divorce rate is so high among people that marry young, it's better to marry after 25.

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (4 children)

Oh man, your kids sure will get fucked up emotionally if you make such a big deal out of it... Sex isn't a big deal, sex education and protections are.

[–]skitolive 4 points5 points  (3 children)

I'm not attacking your opinion in anyway, but I would like to take this moment to mention that there is still a risk for disease as a few very prevalent STI's can be transmitted through methods other than intercourse. For instance many people will perform oral sex but not intercourse before marriage, and it is important to recognize that there is a clear risk of getting an STI from that.

Even if you have abstained from sex before marriage, it is still advisable to each get checked before.

[–]yjftsjthsd-r 8 points9 points  (2 children)

I'm not sure that I'd count oral sex as not sex. The gist of your comment is probably reasonable, since there are ways to transmit STIs other than sex, but I would not have picked that as an example

[–]thwhdu 3 points4 points  (1 child)

It's irrelevant whether it counts as sex or not, you can still get an STD.

[–]DovahMetal 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It is relevant, since we have been told he abstained from sex, and since he classes oral sex as sex...

[–]JazzFan419 -4 points-3 points  (8 children)

I think automatically assuming someone who has had sex before marriage "sleeps around" and that if you aren't married it will automatically "complicate a relationship". You've never had sex in a relationship outside marriage so you have no idea what impact it has on a non marital relationship. I've had sex since highschool, never once has it "complicated" or had a negative impact on any relationship. I've been married 11 years and didn't change the relationship my wife and I had when we had sex while dating. You are kind of preaching on a subject you know, well, nothing about.

[–]gtakiller0914 46 points47 points  (1 child)

I was pretty sociable in high school. Despite being a nerd, I was very good at talking to girls. I just got along with them better. I had many girlfriends in high school, most not lasting long. They wanted sex, but I didn't which is why most fell apart. It drove them crazy. Some of them went to extreme lengths to get me to have sex. It was basically their mission in life. I said no. I didn't want to have children. I knew with my personality that that temptation would be really difficult for me so I avoided sex completely.

I recently broke up with a girl who was doing that. Shortly afterwards, I met someone in chemistry class. We sat next to each other and really hit it off. We were both virgins so a lot of pressure was off of me.

We eventually got engaged in college, where we decided to keep sex off to table until marriage. Big fucking mistake there. I wanted to catch up to all that I missed, but that was doomed from the start.

In my two year marriage, I had sex twice. She had anxiety so after our rough first time, it scared her. She refused to do it at all until our honeymoon a month later. We tried, it failed. I resorted to beating off in our bathroom for a few years. When I told her I was falling out of love with her, she decided to do everything she could to keep me there. She even tied a bow around herself like she was a present from Santa. The years of bathroom use and no sex causes my penis to flatline for her.

Today, I know she makes up lies on why we broke up. She says it's all my fault, but that's not true. I did the best I could for years. She only tried in the very end.

Now I have a lovely fiancé, a baby on the way, and a great job. She's really showed what I missed out on.

[–]thwhdu 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Now I have a lovely fiancé

Maybe that's why your penis had flatlined. Or did you mean fiancée?

[–]everydayuntitled 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I might be late to the game, but I'm seeing SO MANY posts about people having issues their first time or not being sexually compatible. My husband and I both waited until our wedding night, and I totally thought it was worth waiting. We had sex like 7 times in the first 24 hours of being married. It was fun, not awkward, and there was no crippling anxiety attached. It makes me sad to see all of these stories, so maybe we're an exception, but to TL;DR it was GREAT and it was definitely worth waiting.

[–]wrenjelly9 11 points12 points  (0 children)

My husband and I waited. We couldn't be happier that we did. The wedding night was imperfect as would expect anyone's first time to be. However, we still both had a good time that first night and all through our honeymoon. We have learned more and more about each other and it's only gotten better with time.

I much prefer lurking to posting stuff, but I feel compelled to respond every time this question comes up on AskReddit because Reddit loves to hear the stories that confirm their belief that waiting til marriage is the absolute worst thing someone can do. I don't fit the stereotype on some very important points: 1) I am religious, but I didn't wait because I was afraid of being sinful or going to hell or being judged. I waited because I believe a loving God is looking out for his children by telling them to wait. I believe He designed sex for a very particular purpose of intimacy in marriage. 2) I was raised to believe that sex is awesome, fun, and a gift from God. I have no issues from my religious background with feeling that sex is dirty, sinful, etc. 3) I don't judge anyone who is not a believer who chooses not to wait. Why would someone adhere to the moral code of a religion they don't believe in?

I see redditors all the time describe a couple either having sexual compatibility or not, but it's not that simple. My husband and I don't have a perfectly matching sex drive, but we love each other. We love each other so much that we will even sacrifice of ourselves for the other's pleasure or happiness. We have sex even if one of us isn't in the mood because one of us is. Or we don't have sex even if one of is in the mood because that other doesn't feel up to it. That love also brings trust and honesty so that we can communicate what we like and don't like. For me, being married means a level of commitment that allows greater trust and openness and thus better communication. I never think twice about what I share with my husband sexually because I'm not worried about us breaking up and suddenly he hates me and wants to post all this intimate knowledge all over the internet. There's a different brand of safety and intimacy in that.

[–]FerrisWheelJunky 20 points21 points  (0 children)

We waited. We both knew each other well enough to know what we were getting ourselves in to. The first few times were bad. We laughed and got over it. Was it worth it? Maybe. I think it brings us closer knowing we're each others' first and only. And the wedding night is definitely a great memory. Really, this situation is all I've ever known so I don't know if the opposite would be better.

It's like anything sex/relationship related. Talk to your partner and answer his/her questions honestly and there won't be any problems. Waiting worked for us but it might not for everyone else.

[–]st3ve 40 points41 points  (0 children)

Back then we were both good Christians, so the wedding night was highly anticipated. Guess what? Didn't work. As in, we knew what to do, but it was too dry and we were tired so we just went to sleep. The next morning was ok, and we figured things out at least once a day over the next couple months. There have been ups and downs since then, but I guess it was good enough that even after she left ten years later we still hooked up a couple times.

[–]BastionBlair 70 points71 points  (27 children)

Both my wife and I married as virgins by choice (ours). Both in early twenties. We flew out for our honeymoon late on the day of our wedding. Two-weeks in a 5 star hotel in Cancun. A bit ashamed to say but it took a couple of tries to mate successfully, like 3-4 days. Like I said, total noobs. The only thing I am born with that I can give away I gave to her and she did the same. It's an amazing feeling that is still part of our relationship 15 years and 2 kids later. If for some reason I had to choose again, I would do exactly the same thing. I've only known one girl and that's my wife and I do whatever I can so that it stays that way.

[–]cinnapear 78 points79 points  (17 children)

The only thing I am born with that I can give away I gave to her and she did the same.

I'll just never understand this kind of thinking. i.e. that virginity is an object of value.

[–][deleted] 25 points26 points  (4 children)

I've put a lot of thought into this.

It really depends on which culture you hail from, and by that I don't mean a nationality or an ethnicity, I mean even a smaller culture within a larger body. To someone who grows up in a household where 'losing your virginity' will result in repercussions from your parents, or in a region where you'll receive heat over it from just about anyone else, you will come to see it as a thing that is given or taken. Thus the language around it; lose, give, take, steal, waste, etc. It's treated as a commodity; it's a noun. Sex becomes a discrete thing, rather than something two or more people do as a verb. Virginity is like the 'seal of freshness' so to speak on the thing that is sex. It gets extra tense when talking about this with someone from a culture where not being a virgin is an honor crime, liable to ruin you for marriage, etc. I've had that conversation a few times seeking opinions and... people get very serious about it. Whereas if you grow up in an environment where sex is something you do, aka, it's a verb first and foremost, even if it can be considered a noun, you're less likely to see it as something that can be stolen, given, etc.

The areas where it seems the strongest are cultures that were recently more tribal, especially when dowery is involved, gifts of livestock, etc. Because there is a sort of inferred expectation of 'return on investment' involved in the bride payment. Which over generations tends to put pressure on the parents, family, etc, of the bride to be sure she's a virgin so there can't be a complaint regarding it. This gets even tenser if its also an area with religious beliefs tied in stating that it is sinful or somehow devaluing to go through premarital sex.

It will also change how you interpret the event that someone forces a sexual experience on you. You'll very likely still be angry, mad, confused, etc, but the reasoning will change. It is less about taking your choice away and more about poisoning the future you expected. The arguments around it will change. The severity of your reaction will change, and so on. It's one of the things that makes the discussion around rape, etc, so much harder to have because not everyone comes at it from the same position and experience.

It gets complicated, even if it may seem weird from one's own position in the world, it can make a lot of sense from someone else's. To understand them, you have to understand why they value what they value.

[–]TheZeef 2 points3 points  (3 children)

It can also depend on one's mentality. For example, I'm 100% waiting until marriage, period. But I strongly agree(and encourage?) sex before marriage because it can really make or break a relationship.

[–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (2 children)

That makes for an interesting internal contradiction, actually. If you're "100% waiting until marriage, period" how will you be able to abide by the trial run for compatibility? Or is it less that you're waiting for marriage, but more waiting for someone you would indeed want to marry, before taking that trial run? In which case, if you're not compatible... how could you continue to abide by your original belief? Or are you, personally waiting, and you advocate the idea that others should have the trial run at sex? In which case, how is that an informed opinion without having had the experience yourself?

It's a bit of a head scratcher.

[–]TheZeef 1 point2 points  (1 child)

It really is haha. From hearing everyone else's experiences, I came to the conclusion that premarital sex can help immensely. But I just want to wait to save it for that special one.

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

So it's more that you are "100% waiting for something worth having sex with for the first time" rather than a marriage thing. I think that's a fairer approach, anyway. People should have standards, even if it means you could get there, have that special experience, and then immediately learn buyer's remorse. Better than if you're locked in at the time. Especially if a person is from a culture where getting a divorce is particularly hard, which interestingly enough, tends to correlate with cultures that have huge problems with premarital sex. So it's kind of a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't sort of situation. Sets you up to not get the trial run, then punishes you if it really just doesn't work after the marriage has already happened.

[–]Mr-Doubtful 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Me neither and while it's great to see how some people love having shared 'their first time' I think that in the majority of cases it causes more problems then it should.

Not to say you shouldn't be careful at all with your first time, but you should do it for your own emotional reasons, NOT because the people around you tell you you are somehow worth less or spoiled or whatever if you've 'lost' your virginity.

You should just have sex when you feel like it and feel comfortable with the person you're gonna do it with, NOT be pressured either way (to lose it early or 'save yourself').

I think of myself as foremost a humanist and a scientist and it think it's really interesting how people have created this concept of 'virginity' which has NO BIOLOGICAL BASIS whatsoever.

[–]PhamNuwensGodshatter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I understand it completely but don't agree. I had a girlfriend in high school that felt like this, I entertained the idea but realized it wasn't for me, so we split, amiably and much for the better for both of us. She just got married, couldn't be happier for them both.

[–]porcelain_doll_eyes 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that that comes down to the fact that the human experience is going to be diffrent from person to person. Some people will place a value on anything that another person will look at with indifference. That happens with everything that people like and dislike, tv shows, sports, hobbies. Some people will place value on things that THEY think are valuable. Virginity is no diffrent. I don't think that that is a problem as long as we can respect that and not judge and/or ridicule a person for their life choices.

[–]9sam1 2 points3 points  (6 children)

It's interesting to me that so many of these stories seem to include a story of not being able to do it the first time, wonder why that is, seems like it'd be easy enough to figure out and you'd both be dying to do it at that point after all that waiting.

[–]cmd_iii 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Have you been ever read any of the "Reddit, what was your first time like?" threads? Nearly all of them are either "I didn't know what I was doing," or "I finished in one pump," or "we gave up and just went to sleep," or whatever. Even though reproduction is a basic instinct, it still requires a bit of practice to get it right.

Now, pile all of that on top of weeks/months of wedding preparation, the ceremony, a huge reception, some champagne, probably a few other drinks, and, yeah, I can see where it'd take a few tries.

[–]bran_buckler 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Being nervous and anxious isn't necessarily conducive for sexy times for both parties. A man can have problems getting it up, or prematurely coming. A woman could be dry, not only from being nervous, but from not being stimulated enough if the guy doesn't know better, and her muscles can clench up down there making sex very hard and painful for both of them. Sometimes it takes a while to get used to what they're about to do mentally, before they can both be comfortable and enjoy it.

[–]notinsignificant 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I grew up Mormon and was shamed into believing sex was dirty and only for procreation. Sex was an emotional hot button for me for many years and my natural feelings were shoved to the background. I had sex for the first time on my wedding night. I do regret not having sex prior as my view of sex was distorted my religion. It was used as a tool of control by the faith and my now ex-wife. My emotional and self esteem scars have taken years to overcome.

I can say that having an emotional, loving connection with the person you are intimate with is key. Once I was able to move past my self-esteem issues as well as guilt and shame surrounding the religious aspect, I really was able to enjoy sex on an emotional, intellectual, and physical level. It's more than just a climax, but the act of giving and receiving; sharing in an act that is intimate and beyond description.

I believe now that if I had engaged earlier in life on a sexual level, I would have achieved this state much sooner in life.

[–]DavidMcl 25 points26 points  (4 children)

Am 23 and have been married for all of a month. Wife and I were both virgins on our wedding night. It may have been more enjoyable, in a purely physical way, had we both been experienced, however I wouldn't have done it another way. Part of the reason we got married young is to figure out all of life together. sharing the experience of sex with only each other has contributed to this.

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Awww. (Hug) Congratulations.

[–]NoseDragon 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Part of the reason we got married young is to figure out all of life together.

Jeez, you guys are just kids. Hope everything works out for you.

[–]AusMaverick 2 points3 points  (1 child)

As a 24 year old starting to get pressure of marriage, this makes me feel a little better. My whole deal is I gotta be financially stable before committing to anything like marriage.

[–]NoseDragon 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I started dating my wife at 20. I didn't propose until I had a career, at the age of 27.

Don't rush. If you're meant to be, an extra two or three years won't hurt. Just make sure your partner is on the same page.

[–]okr4mmus 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Married my wife when we were both 22. We were both virgins and the sex was awesome from the start and just keeps getting better. We don't need to use condoms or worry about diseases, and have a lot of fun. She loves that there are no insecurities during sex, thinking things like "Maybe he's been with someone who did this better than me."

[–]Tivia 9 points10 points  (0 children)

My wife and I were both each others first.

It was fucking Terrible the first few times.

17 years later of never hitting anything else, we both realized it wasn't at all worth waiting it was just something forced on us thanks to growing up in the bible belt.

[–]bad_bad_leroy_brown 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It was (and still is) incredible. For the intimacy that I have experienced with her and her alone, it was absolutely worth waiting.

[–]archetype776 8 points9 points  (0 children)

As others have said, it isn't exactly objective since I can't experience both. My wife and I were both virgins before marriage and we couldn't be happier. Zero regrets waiting. No drama from previous relationships among other things.

[–]SilentlyCrying 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think if I had married the right person it would of been better. I waited until my wedding night and I was disappointed. My ex and I weren’t suited for each other. There was no romance involved and there was no connection. I was upset. I felt that I had wasted my time holding out. When I had sex with my current husband for the first time it was completely different.

[–]JuniorBaconCheese 4 points5 points  (0 children)

NO! We were both religious, and waited to have sex with each other. I was in my late 20's and she was in her mid 20's.

She had already had a couple partners, but none in the previous 4 or 5 years.

We were ready to go and it was fine, but she had chronic pain issues that flared up really seriously in the months leading up to our marriage, so her sex drive was greatly diminished by both the medication and the pain.

It never really got better unfortunately. We've both since left our religion, and regret not having sex when she was healthier. Sadly we're separated now, and may be divorced within a few months.

I mostly regret the missed opportunities to have sex with her, and with previous dating partners because 1) sex; and 2) there was an imbalance in our sexual experience. I was stupidly kind of jealous and threatened by her experience, and she felt guilty and unable to communicate with me about it. 0/10, would not wait again. Need to strike while the iron's hot.

[–]Wallabywayo 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well, it's unlikely this answer will be seen at this point, but I'm going to post it anyway since I think my experience is unique relative to the other comments.

First of all, it wasn't just waiting till marriage to have sex. We also didn't touch, at all, until marriage. No kissing, no hugging, no brushing of hands by accident.

So the only way to assess compatibility was talking, keeping in mind that both of us had no experience.

So we did. We discussed what we'd do if we had libido mismatches, we discussed what range of activities we felt comfortable with to start off (or rather, we discussed what things we agreed up front were on the table). I also knew with near certainty that I was kinky (from well before I knew what sex was, I have never had a fantasy that was vanilla - discovering BDSM was an actual concept was a huge lightbulb moment for me), so we discussed that as well.

I spent the entirety of our engagement terrified we'd discover we weren't sexually compatible.

After the wedding ceremony we hugged for the first time and it was such a deep relief that it felt good. The first kiss on the other hand was terrible, it took us a while to figure out kissing properly.

Given that we'd never even touched before, we didn't try to have sex the first night. We spent several days just exploring at our own pace and trying things.

The actual first time was... Okay. It felt nice enough, but somewhat anticlimactic. We kept it very simple, plain, and vanilla, which probably also contributed. Later times were just so much better, once we were free to experiment with what worked best....

[–]Thatusernamehas 14 points15 points  (0 children)

We waited, kind of difficult to get going at first because of the tightness but lube made it much easier. For us it was very enjoyable and we would do it that way again 10/10

As far as was it worth it, definitely. I would never want to share such an intimate experience with someone other than the most important person in my life and committing to marriage first SHOULD be a good sign of having the right person but I understand marriage is a joke to many people now.

Plus never have to worry about STDs or pregnancy with the wrong person

[–]scnative843 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I waited until just a few months before our wedding day. She was previously married so she obviously wasn't a virgin. I did it mostly for religious reasons but also personal. I wanted my first time to be with someone I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. We had done other foreplay stuff while we were dating, so I knew the sexual chemistry was there.

Almost all my exes were extremely frustrated that I wouldn't have sex with them, and it ended at least one relationship, but I always stayed committed.

Our sexual chemistry is amazing, and we're both willing to try different things. We've been married 4 years now and the sex is just as good as it was in the beginning. Hope this helps!

[–]reynolcj 14 points15 points  (3 children)

I am going to sound like more of a prude than i actually am; i like to think of it as hopelessly lost in romance--and sucking terribly at it. Personnaly, I think its a shame that-in general-waiting has such negative connotations associated with it-for a whole litany of reasons. Its actually heartbreaking in many regards--but thats for another post. Had i known what sex was before marriage, i would have been an addict with epic tales of poonhoundery--but i wouldnt have stayed with my wife...i wouldnt have my awesome kids...and i wouldnt be who i am today. Do I feel that i may have "missed out" in some regards? Sure--im human. For us--we waited--but not for lack of trying. Wedding night? Forgetaboutit. We couldnt figure out how to get the square peg in the round hole...wish we had known what lube was ha. 10 years later? We still get down to biznass in one way or another multipe times a week. One day the kids are going to figure out what we are up to when we tell them through the closed door to "go downstairs and get a snack." Its not perfect, we still screw up, or say something wrong that ruins the mood...but we are committed. Not perfect--just us.

[–]sukumizu 10 points11 points  (1 child)

I don't think that premarital sex leads to an instantaneous addiction for the flesh. For all we know, you could have ended up where you are currently at today, albeit with a bit more experience at the start.

Maybe I've seen too many deaths among family/friends over the past 3-4 years, but I'm of the mind that life is too short for waiting. As long as you like her and she likes you, that should be plenty reason to engage in sex.

[–]reynolcj 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was debating editing that....it was more tongue in cheek than anything given the almost insatiable appetite for sex i saw at a pretty loose college campus amongst both sexes.

[–]ellymi 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ex and I waited until we were married and it was probably one of the worst decisions I've ever made, primarily because we didn't consider sexual chemistry/compatibility at all. We had (and still have) a fantastically solid friendship, but for religious reasons barely had any kind of sexual contact before we got married.

The upshot of this was the first time we had sex, I was in unbelievable pain, and I remember thinking "Is this it?". As our marriage continued, we found satisfying ways of having sex, but none were completely mind-blowing. Eventually, after four years, we went our separate ways and went on to have sex with other people. Because our friendship is really solid we've actually compared notes on our consequent sexual relationships - I've only slept with one other guy, my current boyfriend, and we have a lot of spark. My ex has slept with a few girls and says he's had more spark with some than others - it took him a while to not fear hurting them or worrying about whether they enjoyed it or not, which makes me a little sad because he's a fantastic guy and I hate that he felt that way at all.

TL;DR In our case, I really think waiting was a mistake and it impacted hugely on our marriage.

[–]Treesho 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My wife and I are both very conservative religiously, so we waited until marriage to have sex. That said, we engaged in some very heavy guilty petting beforehand, all the way up to fingering. We were so bad. :-P

The first month or so after we got married was a period of adjustment. She suddenly became "too sensitive" for me to finger her or play with her nipples as foreplay, so that was very difficult. After a while though, we were able to achieve full penetration and vaginal orgasms.

After a dry spell due to pregnancy, we discovered that her being stretched in child birth was helpful. There was a bit less pain initially upon penetration and now whenever we have sex she orgasms at least twice.

All this being said, there are things she will not attempt because she views them as gross: giving or receiving oral. Additionally, she is averse to trying new positions (mainly due to the difficulty and pain that we had at the start). Finally, her sudden sensitivity is quite the turn off for me because it almost feels like we had a better physical relationship even though there was no sex before we were married because we would make out and engage in the petting. Now it's like penetration or bust.

[–]Mystery_101 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I too was raised in a no sex before marriage BS. I had multiple boyfriends but it all crumbled. Anyway, long story short-I met my now Fiance and I never felt that way for any one. Did the deed after just one month, wasn't too painful, but it was and still is amazing for us. I guess in this case, I just needed to wait for the right person! Now, after 5 years we are getting married! :D

[–]ivecometothis 0 points1 point  (2 children)

So honestly, what advice do I need as a 22 year old guy afraid to have sex ONLY because of the fear of something going wrong ending up with her getting pregnant?

[–]SylvasTheCat 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Just be smart, wear a condom. Have fun.

[–]ivecometothis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All of that is common sense, how do you prevent the .01%.

[–]middleofthemap 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a female coworker that is 32 and is a virgin... she is waiting until marriage.