Halfway Isn’t the Whole Truth

Have you taken the "Technical Virgin" pledge yet? When taking the oath, people promise to abstain from intercourse until marriage, but it promotes "sharing orgasms with others, via manual, oral, and anal sex between consenting partners, whether of the same sex or the opposite sex." If you haven't taken this pledge, you are missing out on a sad but growing trend among high school students.

“Technical virginity” is a cop-out for hormone-ravaged teenagers who want to satisfy their sexual cravings and desires by doing everything without actually doing it. This way, they can claim they haven't technically lost their virginity and remain chaste for marriage.

The movement can be traced to the desires of right-wing religious organizations for teens to be taught abstinence instead of protection. But not even they thought a loophole this big would emerge among horny teens.

Many of the "technical virgins" are young girls who perform a delicate balancing act between morality and pressure from sexy media images.

Many are influenced by MTV and BET along with other media outlets that flaunt sexuality and promiscuity.

Additionally, they face pressure from boyfriends or other male companions who want them to put out sexually. And between both sexes, many feel they can have other kinds of sex without running the risk of teenage pregnancy. For them, this “technical” thing is logical.

Unfortunately, those who have taken the “Technical Virgin” pledge, and urge others to do the same, are blinded by the fact that once one has any type of sexual relations with another person, one is no longer a virgin or pure.

Yes, it may be true that one has not engaged in vaginal sex, but the person has engaged in a sexual activity that can risk contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Last time we checked, there is no other way of contracting an STD unless one is having some form of sex. This blows the top off the virginity claim.

So now that it's out of the way that you are not technically a virgin if you’re doing everything else under the sun, let's talk about protection.

One precaution that would reduce the risk of catching a sexually transmitted disease is the use of condoms when having direct contact with the genitals of another person, even orally.

Being abstinent is the only true way one can remain a virgin. If virginity is what you seek, try getting involved with someone on an emotional level instead of the physical.

At least you wouldn't have to be technical about it.

The District Chronicles is based at Howard University.

Posted April 22, 2003