Virginity

In Roman times, Vestal Virgins were strictly celibate or they were punished by death.

In its most general sense, virginity is characterized by a state of unimpacted purity, usually stemming from a lack of experience (for example, newcomers to the game Bingo could be referred to as virgins). Traditionally, virgin is used to describe a person who has not engaged in sexual intercourse. This use is traditionally restricted to a person who has not yet engaged in vaginal intercourse, especially a woman, but it is sometimes used to describe someone who has not engaged in sexual activities in general. Also, someone can be referred to as an "anal virgin," being a virgin to anal sex (specifically receiving anal sex). The status of "virginity" is sometimes respected and valued in certain societies, especially in relation to views of many religions on sexual conduct before marriage. The term maiden is also sometimes used to mean a virgin, although that can also refer to an unmarried woman, generally supposed to be young (though there are contrary usages such as "maiden aunt").

Physiology

Among human females, the hymen is a membrane, part of the vulva, which partially occludes the entrance to the vagina and which is often physically torn when the woman first engages in sexual intercourse. Hymens vary in thickness, shape, and flexibilty. The presence of an intact membrane is often seen as physical evidence of virginity in the broader technical sense. The absence of one, however, is not necessarily an indication of participation in sexual intercourse, since in some women the hymen is either absent from birth, or sufficiently vestigial not to be affected by sexual penetration. Also, the hymen can be broken before a woman engages in sexual intercourse, for example during strenuous exercise or during the insertion of a tampon. Conversely, in rare cases a woman's hymen is imperforate, and as menstrual discharge cannot then escape, surgical intervention to break it is necessary to protect her health.

In most cultures, women are not regarded as virgins after a sexual assault, but some people disavow this notion. There are also those who take this "spiritual" concept of virginity to its maximum, considering "born again virgins" to be virgins, regardless of their past sexual conduct.

In males, there is no physical indicator of virginity; however, there may be social indicators, such as possible sexual anxiety and a lack of sexual knowledge.

In culture

Female virginity is closely interwoven with personal or even family honor in many cultures. Traditionally in some cultures (especially those dominated by Christianity, Islam and Judaism, as also Hinduism and the other Indic religions) there has been a widespread belief that the loss of virginity before marriage is a matter of deep shame.

In some cultures (for example the Bantu of South Africa), virginity testing is commonplace. This would typically involve personal inspection by a female elder.

Traditionally in western marriage ceremonies, a veil is taken as a symbol of the bride's virginity; it is a popular misconception that the white dress indicated virginity. It is unclear the extent to which this symbolism is accurate given that some women may choose to wear white even if they are no longer virgins. This may even hold true for women who are assumed to be non-virgins (for example, those involved in a second marriage), but the practice is not universal.

Some elements within Western culture no longer regard premarital virginity as a virtue and may allude to it disparagingly. The increasingly-common belief of some Western youth that virginity is not to be regarded as a virtue has become a matter of considerable debate, especially related to controversies involving sexuality among young people. Continuing virginity after a certain age is even regarded by some to be a negative thing, implying that the person is unattractive, prudish or sexually immature.

The philosopher Bertrand Russell, in his book Why I Am Not a Christian, argued that to avoid sexual relationships before marriage was naive and unwise, and that to do so would in the long run lead to far more unhappiness than if sexual activity is engaged in. This is based on the idea that if one is ignorant to sexual desire and fulfilment, one will not be able to distinguish between a deep infatuation and what may be known as true affection, and thus may make an unfortunate choice of partner based upon misconception - a mistake that would not be committed by those aware of the distinction.

Some historians and anthropologists note that many societies that place a high value on virginity before marriage, such as the United States before the sexual revolution, actually have a large amount of premarital sexual activity that does not involve vaginal penetration, e.g., oral sex, anal sex and mutual masturbation. This has been termed technical virginity or hot virginity.

Loss of virginity

The act of losing one's virginity, that is, of a first sexual experience, is commonly considered within Western culture to be an important life event and a rite of passage. It is highlighted by many mainstream Western movies (particularly films aimed at a teenaged audience). The loss of virginity can be viewed as a milestone to be proud of or as a failure to be ashamed of (particularly if a lack of self control was involved), depending on cultural perceptions. Historically, these perceptions were heavily influenced by perceived gender roles, such that for a male the association was more often with pride and for a female the association was more often with shame. (See Double standard.) However, in recent years in Western culture, the influence of gender roles has weakened so that it is now much more common for females to experience pride, although fathers are still often portrayed as being disapproving of and highly concerned about the loss of virginity for their daughters.

The partner during the loss of virginity is sometimes colloquially said to "take" the virginity of the virgin partner. In some places, this colloquialism is only used when the partner is not virgin, but in other places, the virginity of the partner does not matter. The archaic term "deflower" is sometimes used in modern times to also describe the act of the virgin's partner, and the clinical term "defloration" is another way to describe the event.

Religion

Mythology

Virginity has been often considered to be a virtue denoting purity and physical self-restraint and is an important characteristic of some mythical figures such as the Greek goddesses Athena, Artemis, and Hestia. The Vestal Virgins were strictly celibate priestesses of Vesta. The Maiden or Virgin is one of the three persons of the Triple Goddess in many Neopagan traditions. The constellation Virgo represents a wide selection of sacred virgins.

Christianity

Some Christian observers say that virginity indicates a requisite state of holiness in terms of sexuality before marriage. Conservatives believe the New Testament of the Christian Bible forbids pre-marital sex of any form, while life-long celibacy is encouraged (Matthew 19:12). The Virgin Mary is a very important and holy figure in the New Testament and the virgin birth of Jesus is of key note.

Islam

Islam provides very strict conditions that sexual activity must occur between married individuals. Quotes such as 'Do not even go near Fornication' (Al-Israa 17: 32), are testament to this. Despite this, people who are not virgins may still be allowed to marry each other.

Judaism

One of the most fundamental aspects of Jewish tradition is the great significance attached to virginity. It appears in Judaism as early as the verse in Genesis, referring to Eliezer's encounter with Rebekah: 'And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her' (Genesis 24:16) and is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, especially with regard to the laws governing betrothal, marriage and divorce.

However, in practice, Judaism is fairly lenient about sexual relations. Sex is not seen as dirty or undesireable - in fact, sex within a marriage on Shabbat is considered a "double-mitzvah." The more liberal denominations (Reconstructionist Judaism, Reform Judaism, and Conservative Judaism) are relatively open to pre-marital sex: while it isn't encouraged, per se, it is not ignored, either - rules governing sexuality still apply, etc.

External links

Virgin at Dictionary.com, an exposition of the many possible meanings of "virgin"
Magical Cups and Bloody Brides by Heather Corinna - Explores the historical context of virginity in a frank and easy-to-understand manner.
20 Questions About Virginity - Interview with Hanne Blank, author of an upcoming book on virginity. Discusses relationship between hymen and concept of virginity.