From: cjmchale@dsg.cs.tcd.ie (Ciaran McHale)
Subject: Re: Teensy Weensy Virginities
Organization: DSG, Dept. of Computer Science, Trinity College Dublin
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 18:15:28 GMT

In <1b7uvbINNi5b@agate.berkeley.edu> rsr@soda.berkeley.edu
(Roy S. Rapoport) writes:
>[...]
>On tuesday I talked with one of my best friends who knew what had happened
>on saturday (in excruciating detail ... I was boasting :) ), and made a
>comment along the lines of "Well, I'm not a virgin anymore."  To which his
>response was "Err, yes you are."  We basically started discussing whether or
>not what I had done on saturday counted as sex, and this started me
>thinking (not something I do often enough :) ).
>
>I came to the conclusion that virginity is not a binary value, but rather
>simply the line between what you've done v. what you haven't done ... this
>is a cool thing to realize because it means that I'm not a complete and
>utter virgin wrt either gender (of course, this also means that _very_ few
>of us are ... ) ...

Here's an interesting tidbit of information from the "Kinsey Institute
New Report on Sex" (ref is given at the end of this posting), page 113:

----cut here----
Question:
When is a man not a virgin? I did not have any sexual contact with
anyone until I was 64, and that was with another male. So am I a virgin
or not?

Response:
Frankly, the word "virgin" is not very useful in scientifically
describing exactly what any person has or has not done sexually.

The concept of virginity has historically been applied only to women,
with most definitions based on whether she has had sexual intercourse or
the hymen is still present. Basically each person defines his or her own
status as virgin or nonvirgin depending on how he or she defines
"virginity".
----cut here----


Of course, some people think that the whole concept is "virgin on the
ridiculous." <ducks>

@book{research-1,
          author =	"June M. Reinisch and Ruth Beasley",
           title =	"{The Kinsey Institute New Report On Sex}",
       publisher =	"Penguin Books",
            year =	"1991",
         edition =	"1st",
            note =	"ISBN~0-14-015414-0.
			UK~\pounds 8.99;
			NZ~\$29.95 (incl.\ GST)",
	   blurb =	"Following the results of a new survey and four years
			of research, the Kinsey Institute have put together the
			most up-to-date, accurate information available
			concerning all aspects of human sexuality.
		\par
			This new study, which supplements the original Kinsey
			Report, tells you everything you need and want to know
			about sex and has special sectioins on:
			\begin{itemize}
				\item	Sexual problems
				\item	Sexual development
				\item	Contraception and parenthood
				\item	Health, disease and safety
				\item	Sex and growing older
				\item	How your body works
			\end{itemize}
			Sensitive, direct and easy to understand, this
			excellent book will dispel doubts and fears and will
			give you a thorough understanding of the sexual
			response."
}


<> To assert that the earth revolves around the sun ``is as erroneous as to
<> claim that Jesus was not born of a virgin.''
<> --- Cardinal Bellarmine 1615, during the trial of Galileo.

Ciaran.
-- 
Ciaran McHale                                                             ----
Department of Computer Science, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.       \bi/
Telephone: +353-1-7021539 FAX: +353-1-772204 email: cjmchale@dsg.cs.tcd.ie \/