We all remember the days when we idealistically proclaimed to the world (and our poor, unfortunate high school boyfriends): "I'm saving myself for marriage!" Although this didn't actually pan out for most of us (much to the dismay of our hopeful parents) new research suggests that losing your virginity early on may actually be a good thing.
"A study suggests the earlier you lose your virginity, the less likely you are to become a delinquent. Old finding: Kids who have early sex become delinquents. New findings : 1) When you eliminate genetic differences by comparing twins, those who have sex earlier don't become more delinquent. 2) Compared with fraternal twins, identical twins lose their virginity at relatively similar ages, which implies that the age at which you lose your virginity is genetically influenced. 3) In fact, 'adolescents who had sex at younger ages were less likely to end up delinquent than those who lost their virginity later'
Researchers' conclusions: 1) Early sex and delinquency share a genetic basis, probably in propensity to take risks. 2) For teens with risk-taking genes, "sexual relationships may offer an alternative to trouble."
Old advice: Pet your dog, not your date. New advice: Pop a cherry, not a cap."*
*I wish I could take credit for that last line. Alas, the cleverness is courtesy of William Saletan of Slate.com. Mr. Saletan writes a brilliant daily column on slate for their Health & Science section.
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