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= Virgin =
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Introduction
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Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual
intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions that place
special value and significance on this state, predominantly towards
unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor
and worth.
Like chastity, the concept of virginity has traditionally involved
sexual abstinence. The concept of virginity usually involves moral or
religious issues and can have consequences in terms of social status
and in interpersonal relationships. Although virginity has social
implications and had significant legal implications in some societies
in the past, it has no legal consequences in most societies today.
The term 'virgin' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced
women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found
in traditional, modern and ethical concepts. Heterosexual individuals
may or may not consider loss of virginity to occur only through
penile-vaginal penetration, while people of other sexual orientations
often include oral sex, anal sex or mutual masturbation in their
definitions of losing one's virginity. The social implications of
virginity still remain in many societies and can have varying effects
on an individual's social agency.
Etymology
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The word 'virgin' comes via Old French 'virgine' from the root form of
Latin , genitive , meaning literally "maiden" or "virgin"—a sexually
intact young woman or "sexually inexperienced woman". As in Latin, the
English word is also often used with wider reference, by relaxing the
age, gender or sexual criteria. In this case, more-mature women can be
virgins (The Virgin Queen), men can be virgins, and potential
initiates into many fields can be colloquially termed 'virgins'; for
example, a skydiving "virgin". In the latter usage, 'virgin' means
uninitiated.
The Latin word likely arose by analogy with a suit of lexemes based on
, meaning "to be green, fresh or flourishing", mostly with botanic
reference—in particular, meaning "strip of wood".
The first known use of 'virgin' in English is found in a Middle
English manuscript held at Trinity College, Cambridge of about 1200:
In this, and many later contexts, the reference is specifically
Christian, alluding to members of the Ordo Virginum (Order of
Virgins), which applies to the consecrated virgins known to have
existed since the early church from the writings of the Church
Fathers.
By about 1300, the word was expanded to apply also to Mary, the mother
of Jesus, hence to sexual virginity explicitly:
Further expansion of the word to include virtuous (or naïve) young
women, irrespective of religious connection, occurred over about
another century, until by about 1400 we find:
These are three of the eighteen definitions of 'virgin' from the first
edition of the 'Oxford English Dictionary' ('OED1', pages 230-232).
Most of the 'OED1' definitions, however, are similar.
The German word for "virgin" is 'Jungfrau'. 'Jungfrau' literally means
"young woman", but is not used in this sense any more. Instead "junge
Frau" can be used. 'Jungfrau' is the word reserved specifically for
sexual inexperience. As 'Frau' means "woman", it suggests a female
referent. Unlike English, German also has a specific word for a male
virgin 'Jüngling' '(Youngling)'. It is, however, dated and rarely
used. 'Jungfrau', with some masculine modifier, is more typical, as
evidenced by the film 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin', about a 40-year-old
male virgin, titled in German, "Jungfrau (40), männlich, sucht…".
German also distinguishes between young women and girls, who are
denoted by the word 'Mädchen'. The English cognate "maid" was often
used to imply virginity, especially in poetry - e.g. Maid Marian, the
love interest of the legendary outlaw Robin Hood in English folklore.
German is not the only language to have a specific name for male
virginity; in French, male virgins are called "puceau". The Greek word
for "virgin" is 'parthenos' (παρθένος, see Parthenon). Although
typically applied to women, like English, it is also applied to men,
in both cases specifically denoting absence of sexual experience. When
used of men, it does not carry a strong association of "never-married"
status. However, in reference to women, historically, it was sometimes
used to refer to an engaged woman—'parthenos autou' (παρθένος αὐτού,
his virgin) = his fiancée as opposed to 'gunē autou' (γυνή αὐτού, his
woman) = his wife. This distinction is necessary due to there being no
specific word for wife (or husband) in Greek. By extension from its
primary sense, the idea that a virgin has a sexual "blank slate",
unchanged by any past intimate connection or experience, can imply
that the person is of unadulterated purity.
Concept
=========
The concept of virginity has significance only in a particular social,
cultural or moral context. According to Hanne Blank, "virginity
reflects no known biological imperative and grants no demonstrable
evolutionary advantage."
Medieval bestiaries stated that the only way to capture or tame a
unicorn was by way of using a virgin as a lure, due to her implied
purity. The topic is popular in Renaissance paintings.
Although virginity has historically been correlated with purity and
worth, many feminist scholars believe that virginity itself is a myth.
They argue that no standardized medical definition of virginity
exists, that there is no scientifically verifiable proof of virginity
loss, and that sexual intercourse results in no change in personality.
Jessica Valenti, feminist writer and author of 'The Purity Myth',
reasons that the concept of virginity is also dubious because of the
many individual definitions of virginity loss, and that valuing
virginity has placed a woman's morality "between her legs." She
critiques the notion that sexual activity has any influence on
morality or ethics.
The urge of wanting one's spouse or partner to be never engaged in
sexual activities is called a virgin complex. A person may also have a
virgin complex directed towards oneself.
{{anchor|Loss of virginity}}Definitions of virginity loss
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There are varying understandings as to which types of sexual
activities result in loss of virginity. The traditional view is that
virginity is only lost through vaginal penetration by the penis,
consensual or non-consensual, and that acts of oral sex, anal sex,
mutual masturbation or other forms of non-penetrative sex do not
result in loss of virginity. A person who engages in such acts without
having engaged in vaginal intercourse is often regarded among
heterosexuals and researchers as "technically a virgin". By contrast,
gay or lesbian individuals often describe such acts as resulting in
loss of virginity. Some gay males regard penile-anal penetration as
resulting in loss of virginity, but not oral sex or non-penetrative
sex, and lesbians may regard oral sex or fingering as loss of
virginity. Some lesbians who debate the traditional definition
consider whether or not non-penile forms of vaginal penetration
constitute virginity loss, while other gay men and lesbians assert
that the term 'virginity' is meaningless to them because of the
prevalence of the traditional definition.
Whether a person can lose his or her virginity through rape is also
subject to debate, with the belief that virginity can only be lost
through consensual sex being prevalent in some studies. In a study by
researcher and author Laura M. Carpenter, many men and women discussed
how they felt virginity could not be taken through rape. They
described losing their virginities in one of three ways: "as a gift,
stigma or part of the process."
Carpenter states that despite perceptions of what determines virginity
loss being as varied among gay men and lesbians as they are among
heterosexuals, and in some cases more varied among the former, that
the matter has been described to her as people viewing sexual acts
relating to virginity loss as "acts that correspond to your sexual
orientation," which suggests the following: "So if you're a gay male,
you're supposed to have anal sex because that's what gay men do. And
if you're a gay woman, then you're supposed to have oral sex, because
that's what gay women do. And so those become, like markers, for when
virginity is lost."
The concept of "technical virginity" or sexual abstinence through oral
sex is popular among teenagers. For example, oral sex is common among
adolescent girls who fellate their boyfriends not only to preserve
their virginity, but also to create and maintain intimacy or to avoid
pregnancy. In a 1999 study published in 'JAMA' (the 'Journal of the
American Medical Association'), the definition of "sex" was examined
based on a 1991 random sample of 599 college students from 29 US
states; it found that 60% said oral-genital contact (like fellatio,
cunnilingus) did not constitute having sex. Stephanie Sanders of the
Kinsey Institute, co-author of the study, stated, "That's the
'technical virginity' thing that's going on." She and other
researchers titled their findings "Would You Say You 'Had Sex' If
...?" By contrast, in a study released in 2008 by the Guttmacher
Institute, author of the findings Laura Lindberg stated that there "is
a widespread belief that teens engage in nonvaginal forms of sex,
especially oral sex, as a way to be sexually active while still
claiming that technically, they are virgins", but that her study drew
the conclusion that "research shows that this supposed substitution of
oral sex for vaginal sex is largely a myth".
A 2003 study published in the 'Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality'
focusing on definitions of "having sex" and noting studies concerning
university students from the United States, the United Kingdom, and
Australia reported that "[w]hile the vast majority of respondents
(more than 97%) in these three studies included penile-vaginal
intercourse in their definition of sex, fewer (between 70% and 90%)
respondents considered penile-anal intercourse to constitute having
sex" and that "oral-genital behaviours were defined as sex by between
32% and 58% of respondents". A different study by the Kinsey Institute
sampled 484 people, ranging in ages 18-96. "Nearly 95 percent of
people in the study agreed that penile-vaginal intercourse meant 'had
sex.' But the numbers changed as the questions got more specific." 11
percent of respondents based "had sex" on whether the man had achieved
an orgasm, concluding that absence of an orgasm does not constitute
"having had" sex. "About 80 percent of respondents said penile-anal
intercourse meant 'had sex.' About 70 percent of people believed oral
sex was sex."
Virginity pledges (or abstinence pledges) made by heterosexual
teenagers and young adults may also include the practice of "technical
virginity". In a peer-reviewed study by sociologists Peter Bearman and
Hannah Brueckner, which looked at virginity pledgers five years after
their pledge, they found that the pledgers have similar proportions of
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and at least as high proportions
of anal and oral sex as those who have not made a virginity pledge,
and deduced that there was substitution of oral and anal sex for
vaginal sex among the pledgers. However, the data for anal sex without
vaginal sex reported by males did not reflect this directly.
Early loss of virginity
=========================
Early loss of virginity has been shown to be linked to factors such as
level of education, independence, biological factors like age and
gender, and social factors such as parental supervision or religious
affiliation, with the most common being sociodemographic variables.
Along with this, sexual abuse has also been shown to have a link to
later risky sexual behaviors and a younger age of voluntary sexual
intercourse. Sexual initiation at an earlier age has been associated
with: less frequency of condom use, less satisfaction and more
frequency of non-autonomous reasons for that first sexual encounter.
Adverse effects for losing virginity at an early age include lower
chance of economic stability, lower level of education, social
isolation, marital disruption and greater medical consequences. These
medical consequences consist of an increase in STDs, cervical cancer,
pelvic inflammatory disease, fertility and unwanted pregnancies.
Cultural value
================
The first act of sexual intercourse by a female is commonly considered
within many cultures to be an important personal milestone. Its
significance is reflected in expressions such as "saving oneself",
"losing one's virginity," "taking someone's virginity" and sometimes
as "deflowering." The occasion is at times seen as the end of
innocence, integrity, or purity, and the sexualization of the
individual.
Traditionally, there was a cultural expectation that a female would
not engage in premarital sex and would come to her wedding a virgin
and that she would "give up" her virginity to her new husband in the
act of consummation of the marriage. Feminine sexual practices have
revolved around the idea of females waiting to have sex until they are
married.
Some females who have been previously sexually active (or their hymen
has been otherwise damaged) may undergo a surgical procedure, called
hymenorrhaphy or hymenoplasty, to repair or replace her hymen, and
cause vaginal bleeding on the next intercourse as proof of virginity
(see below). In some cultures, an unmarried female who is found not to
be a virgin, whether by choice or as a result of a rape, can be
subject to shame, ostracism or even an honor killing. In those
cultures, female virginity is closely interwoven with personal or even
family honor, especially those known as shame societies, in which the
loss of virginity before marriage is a matter of deep shame. In some
parts of Africa, the myth that sex with a virgin can cure HIV/AIDS
continues to prevail, leading to girls and women being raped. In other
societies, such as many modern-day Western cultures, lack of sexual
abstinence before marriage is not as socially stigmatized as it may be
in the formerly mentioned cultures.
Virginity is regarded as a valuable commodity in some cultures. In the
past, within most societies a woman's options for marriage were
largely dependent upon her status as a virgin. Those women who were
not virgins experienced a dramatic decrease in opportunities for a
socially advantageous marriage, and in some instances the premarital
loss of virginity eliminated their chances of marriage entirely.
Modern virginity auctions, like that of Natalie Dylan, are discussed
in the 2013 documentary 'How to Lose Your Virginity.'
The Bible required a man who seduced or raped a virgin to pay her
bride price to her father and marry the girl. In some countries, until
the late 20th century, a woman could sue a man who had taken her
virginity but did not marry her. In some languages, the compensation
for these damages are called "wreath money".
Proof of virginity
====================
Some cultures require proof of a bride's virginity before her
marriage. This has traditionally been tested by the presence of an
intact hymen, which was verified by either a physical examination
(usually by a physician, who provided a "certificate of virginity") or
by a "proof of blood," which refers to vaginal bleeding that results
from the tearing of the hymen after the first sanctioned sexual
contact. In some cultures, the nuptial blood-spotted bed sheet would
be displayed as proof of both consummation of marriage and that the
bride had been a virgin. Coerced medical virginity tests are practiced
in many regions of the world, but are today condemned as a form of
abuse of women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO):
"Sexual violence encompasses a wide range of acts including (...)
violent acts against the sexual integrity of women, including female
genital mutilation and 'obligatory inspections for virginity'".
Researchers stress that the presence or absence of a hymen is not a
reliable indicator of whether or not a female has been vaginally
penetrated. The hymen is a thin film of membrane situated just inside
the vulva which can partially occlude the entrance to the vaginal
canal. It is flexible and can be stretched or torn during first
engagement in vaginal intercourse. However, a hymen may also be broken
during physical activity. Many women possess such thin, fragile
hymens, easily stretched and already perforated at birth, that the
hymen can be broken in childhood without the girl even being aware of
it, often through athletic activities. For example, a slip while
riding a bicycle may, on occasion, result in the bicycle's saddle-horn
entering the introitus just far enough to break the hymen. Further,
there is the case of women with damaged hymens undergoing
hymenorrhaphy (or hymenoplasty) to repair or replace their hymens, and
cause vaginal bleeding on the next intercourse as proof of virginity.
Others consider the practice to be virginity fraud or unnecessary.
Some call themselves born-again virgins.
There is a common belief that some women are born without a hymen, but
some doubt has been cast on this by a recent study. It is likely that
almost all women are born with a hymen, but not necessarily ones that
will experience a measurable change during first experience of vaginal
intercourse. Some medical procedures occasionally may require a
woman's hymen to be opened (hymenotomy).
Male virginity
================
Historically, and in modern times, female virginity has been regarded
as more significant than male virginity; the perception that sexual
prowess is fundamental to masculinity has lowered the expectation of
male virginity without lowering the social status. For example, in
some Islamic cultures, unmarried women who have been sexually active
or raped may be subject to name-calling, shunning, or family shame,
while unmarried men who have lost their virginities are not, though
premarital sex is forbidden in the Quran with regard to both men and
women. Among various countries or cultures, males are expected or
encouraged to want to engage in sexual activity, and to be more
sexually experienced. Not following these standards often leads to
teasing and other such ridicule from their male peers. A 2003 study by
the Guttmacher Institute showed that in most countries most men have
experienced sexual intercourse by their 20th birthdays.
Male sexuality is seen as something that is innate and competitive and
displays a different set of cultural values and stigmas from female
sexuality and virginity. In one study, scholars Wenger and Berger
found that male virginity is understood to be real by society, but it
has been ignored by sociological studies. Within American culture in
particular, male virginity has been made an object of embarrassment
and ridicule in films such as 'Summer of '42 and' 'American Pie', with
the male virgin typically being presented as socially inept. Such
attitudes have resulted in some men keeping their status as a virgin a
secret.
Prevalence of virginity
=========================
Prevalence of sexually experienced 15-year-olds based on self-reports
!Country !Boys (%) !Girls (%)
|Austria 21.7 17.9
|Canada 24.1 23.9
|Croatia 21.9 8.2
|England 34.9 39.9
|Estonia 18.8 14.1
|Finland 23.1 32.7
|Belgium 24.6 23
|France 25.1 17.7
|Greece 32.5 9.5
|Hungary 25 16.3
|Israel 31 8.2
|Latvia 19.2 12.4
|Lithuania 24.4 9.2
|Macedonia 34.2 2.7
|Netherlands 23.3 20.5
|Poland 20.5 9.3
|Portugal 29.2 19.1
|Scotland 32.1 34.1
|Slovenia 28.2 20.1
|Spain 17.2 13.9
|Sweden 24.6 29.9
|Switzerland 24.1 20.3
|Ukraine 47.1 24
|Wales 27.3 38.5
The prevalence of virginity varies from culture to culture. In
cultures which place importance on a female's virginity at marriage,
the age at which virginity is lost is in effect determined by the age
at which marriages would normally take place in those cultures, as
well as the minimum marriage age set by the laws of the country where
the marriage takes place.
In a cross-cultural study, 'At what age do women and men have their
first sexual intercourse?' (2003), Michael Bozon of the French
Institut national d'études démographiques found that contemporary
cultures fall into three broad categories. In the first group, the
data indicated families arranging marriage for daughters as close to
puberty as possible with significantly older men. Age of men at sexual
initiation in these societies is at later ages than that of women, but
is often extra-marital. This group included sub-Saharan Africa (the
study listed Mali, Senegal and Ethiopia). The study considered the
Indian subcontinent to also fall into this group, although data was
only available from Nepal.
In the second group, the data indicated families encouraged daughters
to delay marriage, and to abstain from sexual activity before that
time. However, sons are encouraged to gain experience with older women
or prostitutes before marriage. Age of men at sexual initiation in
these societies is at lower ages than that of women. This group
includes Latin cultures, both from southern Europe (Portugal, Greece
and Romania are noted) and from Latin America (Brazil, Chile, and the
Dominican Republic). The study considered many Asian societies to also
fall into this group, although matching data was only available from
Thailand.
In the third group, age of men and women at sexual initiation was more
closely matched. There were two sub-groups, however. In non-Latin,
Catholic countries (Poland and Lithuania are mentioned), age at sexual
initiation was higher, suggesting later marriage and reciprocal
valuing of male and female virginity. The same pattern of late
marriage and reciprocal valuing of virginity was reflected in
Singapore and Sri Lanka. The study considered China and Vietnam to
also fall into this group, although data were not available.
Finally, in northern and eastern European countries, age at sexual
initiation was lower, with both men and women involved in sexual
activity before any union formation. The study listed Switzerland,
Germany and the Czech Republic as members of this group.
According to a 2001 UNICEF survey, in 10 out of 12 developed nations
with available data, more than two thirds of young people have had
sexual intercourse while still in their teens. In Denmark, Finland,
Germany, Iceland, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States,
the proportion is over 80%. In Australia, the United Kingdom and the
United States, approximately 25% of 15-year-olds and 50% of
17-year-olds have had sex. A 2002 international survey sought to study
the sexual behavior of teenagers. 33,943 students aged 15, from 24
countries, completed a self-administered, anonymous, classroom survey,
consisting of a standard questionnaire, developed by the HBSC (Health
Behaviour in School-aged Children) international research network. The
survey revealed that the majority of the students were still virgins
(they had no experience of sexual intercourse), and, among those who
were sexually active, the majority (82%) used contraception. In a 2005
Kaiser Family Foundation study of US teenagers, 29% of teens reported
feeling pressure to have sex, 33% of sexually active teens reported
"being in a relationship where they felt things were moving too fast
sexually", and 24% had "done something sexual they didn’t really want
to do". Several polls have indicated peer pressure as a factor in
encouraging both girls and boys to have sex.
Some studies suggest that people commence sexual activity at an
earlier age than previous generations.Judith Mackay, 'The Penguin
Atlas of Human Sexual Behavior', Myriad Editions, published by
Penguin, 2000;
[http://www.myriadeditions.com/books/the-penguin-atlas-of-human-sexual-behavior/
Human Sexual Behavior Atlas]
However, the 2005 Durex Global sex survey found that people worldwide
are having sex for the first time at an average age of 17.3, ranging
from 15.6 in Iceland to 19.8 in India (though evidence has shown that
the average age is not a good indicator of sexual initiation, and that
percentages of sexually initiated youth at each age are preferred). A
2008 survey of UK teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 (conducted
by YouGov for Channel 4), showed that only 6% of these teenagers
intended to wait until marriage before having sex. According to a 2011
CDC study, in the 15-to-19-year-old age group 43 percent of males and
48 percent of females in the United States reported never having an
opposite-sex partner.
The rates of teenage pregnancy vary and range from 143 per 1000 girls
in some sub-Saharan African countries to 2.9 per 1000 in South Korea.
The rate for the United States is 52.1 per 1000, the highest in the
developed world - and about four times the European Union average. The
teenage pregnancy rates between countries must take into account the
level of general sex education available and access to contraceptive
options. Many Western countries have instituted sex education
programs, the main objective of which is to reduce such pregnancies
and STDs. In 1996, the United States federal government shifted the
objective of sex education towards "abstinence-only sex education"
programs, promoting sexual abstinence before marriage (i.e.,
virginity) and prohibiting information on birth control and
contraception. In 2004, President George W. Bush announced a Five-Year
Global HIV/AIDS Strategy, also known as the President's Emergency Plan
for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which committed the U.S. to provide $15
billion over five years toward AIDS relief in 15 countries in Africa
and the Caribbean, and in Vietnam. A part of the funding was earmarked
specifically for "abstinence-only-until-marriage" programs.
In one peer-reviewed study about virginity pledges, male pledgers were
4.1 times more likely to remain virgins by age 25 than those who did
not pledge (25% vs 6%), and estimated that female pledgers were 3.5
times more likely to remain virgins by age 25 than those who did not
pledge (21% vs 6%).
Social psychology
===================
Some cultural anthropologists argue that romantic love and sexual
jealousy are universal features of human relationships. Social values
related to virginity reflect both sexual jealousy and ideals of
romantic love, and appear to be deeply embedded in human nature.
Psychology explores the connection between thought and behavior.
Seeking understanding of social (or anti-social) behaviors includes
sexual behavior. Joan Kahn and Kathryn London studied U.S. women
married between 1965 and 1985 to see if virginity at marriage
influenced risk of divorce. In this study, women who were virgins at
the time of marriage were shown to have less marital upset. It was
shown that when observable characteristics were controlled, women who
were non-virgins at the time of marriage had a higher risk for
divorce. However, it was also shown that the link between premarital
sex and the risk of divorce were attributed to prior unobserved
differences, such as deviating from norms.
A study conducted by Smith and Schaffer found that someone's first
sexual experience has been linked to their sexual performance for
years to come. Participants whose first intercourse was pleasant
showed more satisfaction in their current sex lives. A different study
showed that when compared with virgins, nonvirgins have been shown to
have higher levels of independence, less desire for achievement, more
criticism from society and a greater level of deviance.
Social norms and legal implications
=====================================
Human sexual activity, like many other kinds of activity engaged in by
humans, is generally influenced by social rules that are culturally
specific and vary widely. These social rules are referred to as sexual
morality (what can and can not be done by society's rules) and sexual
norms (what is and is not expected). There are a number of groups
within societies promoting their views of sexual morality in a variety
of ways, including through sex education, religious teachings, seeking
commitments or virginity pledges, and other means.
Most countries have laws which set a minimum marriage age, with the
most common age being 18 years, reduced to 16 in "special
circumstances", typically when the female partner is pregnant, but the
actual age at first marriage can be considerably higher. Laws also
prescribe the minimum age at which a person is permitted to engage in
sex, commonly called the age of consent. Social (and legal) attitudes
toward the appropriate age of consent have drifted upwards in modern
times. For example, while ages from 10 to 13 were typically acceptable
in Western countries during the mid-19th century, the end of the 19th
century and the beginning of the 20th century were marked by changing
attitudes resulting in raising the ages of consent to ages generally
ranging from 16 to 18. Today, the age of consent varies from 12 years
(or onset of puberty) to 21, but 16 to 18 is the most common range of
ages of consent, but some jurisdictions also have a "close-in-age"
exception, allowing two adolescents (as young as 12 years of age) to
have sex with each other provided their ages are not more than 2 years
apart. Some countries outlaw any sex outside marriage entirely.
Historically, and still in many countries and jurisdictions today, a
female's sexual experience is sometimes considered a relevant factor
in the prosecution of a perpetrator of rape. Also, historically, a man
who "took" a female's virginity could be forced to marry her. In
addition, children born as a result of premarital sex were subject to
various legal and social disabilities such as being considered
illegitimate and thus barred from inheriting from the putative
father's estate, from bearing the father's surname or title, and
support from the putative father. Many of these legal disabilities on
children born from extramarital relationships have been abolished by
law in most Western countries, though social ostracism may still
apply.
Religious views
=================
All major religions have moral codes covering issues of sexuality,
morality, and ethics. Though these moral codes do not address issues
of sexuality directly, they seek to regulate the situations which can
give rise to sexual interest and to influence people's sexual
activities and practices. However, the impact of religious teaching
has at times been limited. For example, though most religions
disapprove of premarital sexual relations, it has always been widely
practiced. Nevertheless, these religious codes have always had a
strong influence on peoples' attitudes to sexual issues.
Buddhism
==========
The most common formulation of Buddhist ethics for lay followers are
the Five Precepts and the Eightfold Path. These precepts take the form
of voluntary, personal undertakings, not divine mandate or
instruction. The third of the Five Precepts is "To refrain from
committing sensual misconduct". Sensual misconduct is defined in the
Pali Canon as follows:
Virginity, specifically, is not mentioned in the Canon. On the other
hand, Buddhist monks and nuns of most traditions are expected to
refrain from all sexual activity and the Buddha is said to have
admonished his followers to avoid unchastity "as if it were a pit of
burning cinders."
The 3rd of the 5 precepts in Buddhism warns against any sensual
misconduct, though the exact definition of it is unclear. Buddhists
have been more open compared to other religions about the subject of
sex and that has expanded over time. As with Christianity, although a
traditionalist would assume that one should not have sex before
marriage, many Buddhists do. There are different branches of Buddhism,
like tantric and puritan, and they have very different views on the
subject of sex, yet managed to get along. Tantric is a Sanskrit word;
it is typically translated as two things or person being bound
together. In the time of Gotama, the man who came to be known as
Buddha, sex was not taboo. The world the prince lived in was filled
with earthly pleasures. Women naked from the waist above were in the
court solely to serve the prince. Gotama's father even constructed a
chamber of love. Prince Gotama and founded the beginnings of Buddhism,
which included the denial of earthly pleasures in order to follow the
Middle Way. The stark contrast between the way Buddha lived his life
before and after rejecting the material world may arguably be one of
the reasons Buddhism evolved the way it did. In the present, the
mother of a Buddha does not have to be a virgin; she must have never
had a child, however.
Hinduism
==========
In Hinduism, premarital virginity on the part of the bride is
considered ideal. The prevailing Hindu marriage ceremony, or the Vedic
wedding, centers around the 'Kanyadan' ritual, which literally means
'gift of a virgin,' by father of the maiden through which the Hindus
believe they gain greatest spiritual merit, and marriages of the
daughters are considered a spiritual obligation. The purity of women
is especially valued in South Asia, where Hinduism is most commonly
practiced. Sex had never been a taboo in ancient India and intactness
of the hymen had nothing to do with virginity.
Sikhism
=========
In Sikhism, sexual activity is supposed to occur only between married
individuals. Sikhism advises against premarital sex, as it has a high
potential of being an indulgence of lust ('kaam', or extreme sexual
desire). Sikhism teaches that young women must have decent modesty
('sharam)' because the honor ('izzat)' of her family could be
jeopardized. Sexual activity and even living together prior to
marriage is not allowed in Sikhism. Virginity is an important aspect
of spirituality and it has to be preserved before marriage, or when
one is ready to move into another sacred state of being with their
significant other.
Judaism
=========
Premarital sex is forbidden in Judaism. In fact, the precedent for the
'mitzvot' which are related in Deuteronomy 22:25-29, which regard what
happens when a man rapes a virgin, may well have been set at Shechem
after the rape of Dinah (cf. Genesis 34).
There are other references in the Torah to virginity. In the first
reference, in , Lot offers his virgin daughters to the people of Sodom
for sexual purposes in an attempt to protect his guests (cf. Genesis
19:4-11), with the implication that the people of Sodom would be more
likely to accept the offer in view of the girls' virginity than they
would otherwise. This also sets the precedent for Israelites to avoid
homosexual activity (cf. Leviticus 18:22, 20:13.).
The next reference is at , where Eliezer is seeking a wife for his
master, Abraham's son. He meets Rebecca, and the narrative tells us,
"the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man
known her" (in biblical terms, "to know" is a euphemism for sexual
relations).
As for any child born to a single woman, he or she is not regarded as
illegitimate (a 'mamzer') or subject to social or religious
disabilities—Perez and Zerach, for example (and although their mother
was a widow who was willingly impregnated by her father-in-law), were
not counted as 'mamzerim' (cf. Genesis 38:24-30).
Halakhah also contains rules related to protecting female virgins, and
rules regarding pre-marital sex, rape, and the effects of each.
In Torah, a damsel who has not the sign of virginity in the early
marriage shall be punished by death penalty, since the unvirgin woman
among Israel is equal with a defiled whore in her father's house.
Ancient Greece and Rome
=========================
Virginity was often considered a virtue denoting purity and physical
self-restraint and is an important characteristic in Greek mythology.
In ancient Greek literature such as the Homeric Hymns, there are
references to the Parthenon goddesses Artemis, Athena, and Hestia
proclaiming pledges to eternal virginity (Greek: παρθενία). However,
it has been argued a maiden's state of 'parthenia' (Greek: παρθένος),
as invoked by these deities, carries a slightly different meaning from
what is normally understood as virginity in modern western
religions.[15] Rather, 'parthenia' focused more on marriageability and
abstract concepts without strict physical requirements which would be
adversely affected, but not entirely relinquished, by pre-marital
sexual intercourse. For these reasons, other goddesses not eternally
committed to 'parthenia' within the Homeric Hymns are able to renew
theirs through ritual (such as Hera) or choose an appearance which
implies the possession of it (such as Aphrodite).
In Roman times, the Vestal Virgins were the highly respected, strictly
celibate (although not necessarily virginal) priestesses of Vesta, and
keepers of the sacred fire of Vesta. The Vestals were committed to the
priesthood before puberty (when 6-10 years old) and sworn to celibacy
for a period of 30 years. The chastity of the Vestals was considered
to have a direct bearing on the health of the Roman state. Allowing
the sacred fire of Vesta to die out, suggesting that the goddess had
withdrawn her protection from the city, was a serious offence and was
punishable by scourging. Because a Vestal's chastity was thought to be
directly correlated to the sacred burning of the fire, if the fire
were extinguished it might be assumed that a Vestal had been unchaste.
The penalty for a Vestal Virgin found to have had sexual relations
while in office was being buried alive.
Christianity
==============
Paul the Apostle expressed the view that a person's body belongs to
God and is God's temple (, ), and that premarital sex is immoral () on
an equal level as adultery. () Paul also expressed the view in that
sexual abstinence is the preferred state for both men and women.
However, he stated that sexual relations are expected between a
married couple.
According to classicist Evelyn Stagg and New Testament scholar Frank
Stagg, the New Testament holds that sex is reserved for marriage. They
maintain that the New Testament teaches that sex outside of marriage
is a sin of adultery if either of the participants is married,
otherwise the sin of fornication if neither of the participants are
married. An imperative given in 1 Corinthians says, "Flee from sexual
immorality. All other sins people commit are outside their bodies, but
those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies." Those who are
sexually immoral or adulterers are listed in in a list of "wrongdoers
who ... will not inherit the kingdom of God." and also address
fornication. The 'Apostolic Decree' of the Council of Jerusalem also
includes a prohibition on fornication.
Aquinas went further, emphasizing that acts other than copulation
destroy virginity, and clarifying that involuntary sexual pleasure
does not destroy virginity. From his 'Summa Theologica', "Pleasure
resulting from resolution of semen may arise in two ways. If this be
the result of the mind's purpose, it destroys virginity, 'whether
copulation takes place or not'. Augustine, however, mentions
copulation, because such like resolution is the ordinary and natural
result thereof. On another way this may happen beside the purpose of
the mind, either during sleep, or through violence and without the
mind's consent, although the flesh derives pleasure from it, or again
through weakness of nature, as in the case of those who are subject to
a flow of semen. On such cases virginity is not forfeit, because such
like pollution is not the result of impurity which excludes
virginity."
Some have theorized that the New Testament was not against sex before
marriage. The discussion turns on two Greek words — 'moicheia'
('μοιχεία', adultery) and 'porneia' ('πορνεία', fornication, see also
pornography). The first word is restricted to contexts involving
sexual betrayal of a spouse; however, the second word is used as a
generic term for illegitimate sexual activity. Elsewhere in , incest,
homosexual intercourse (according to some interpretations) and
prostitution are all explicitly forbidden by name (however, the
Septuagint uses "porneia" to refer to male temple prostitution). Paul
is preaching about activities based on sexual prohibitions in
Leviticus, in the context of achieving holiness. The theory suggests
it is these, and only these behaviors that are intended by Paul's
prohibition in chapter seven. The strongest argument against this
theory is that the modern interpretation of the New Testament, outside
Corinthians, speaks against premarital sex.
Christian orthodoxy accepts that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a
virgin at the time Jesus was conceived, based on the accounts in the
Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. The Roman Catholic, Eastern
Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox Churches additionally hold to the
dogma of the perpetual virginity of Mary. However, most Protestants
reject the dogma, citing sources such as : "Isn't this the carpenter,
the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?
And aren't His sisters here with us?". The Catholic Church holds that
in Semitic usage the terms "brother," "sister" are applied not only to
children of the same parents, but to nephews, nieces, cousins,
half-brothers, and half-sisters. Catholics, Orthodox Christians and
other groups may refer to Mary as 'the Virgin Mary' or 'the Blessed
Virgin Mary'.
The 'Catholic Encyclopedia' says: "There are two elements in
virginity: the material element, that is to say, the absence, in the
past and in the present, of all complete and voluntary delectation,
whether from lust or from the lawful use of marriage; and the formal
element, that is the firm resolution to abstain forever from sexual
pleasure" and that "Virginity is irreparably lost by sexual pleasure,
voluntarily and completely experienced." However, for the purposes of
consecrated virgins it is canonically enough that they have never been
married or lived in open violation of chastity.
Islam
=======
Islam considers extramarital sex to be sinful and forbidden. Though
Islamic law prescribes punishments for Muslim men and women for the
act of zinā, in practice it is an extremely difficult offense to
prove, requiring four respectable witnesses to the actual act of
penetration. Though in Western cultures premarital sex and loss of
virginity may be considered shameful to the individual, in some Muslim
societies an act of premarital sex, even if not falling within the
legal standards of proof, may result in personal shame and loss of
family honor.
In some modern-day largely Muslim societies such as Turkey, vaginal
examinations for verifying a woman's virginity are a clinical practice
which are at times state-enforced. These types of examinations are
typically ordered for women who go against traditional societal
notions of "public morality and rules of modesty", though in 1999 the
Turkish penal code was altered to require a woman's consent prior to
performing such an examination.
See also
======================================================================