It’s a Great Time for Virgins: Here Are 5 Fine Alternatives to Sex

SEX & RELATIONSHIPS
Today’s virgins have more access to sexual satisfaction than ever before.

Photo Credit: CHAjAMP / Shutterstock

If you’re one of the many members of America’s youth desperate to ditch your virginity, you might want to rethink your priorities, because as some new research confirms, sex might not be as accessible for you as it was in years past.

According to a 2011 report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, virginity is on the rise. Twenty-seven percent of men ages 15 to 24 years old have never had any form of sexual contact with another person—oral, vaginal or anal. That statistic is up from the 22 percent of self-reported virgins back in 2002.

A separate study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior confirmed that millennials will have fewer sexual partners than the generations before them. A separate study conducted by online dating service Match found that 49 percent of 20-somethings have not had sex at all in the past year.

“This is a generation that has grown up with an awareness of HIV/AIDS,” Jeffrey Arnett, a research professor at Clark University and author of Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood, told Time. “When the boomers were in their heyday, that didn’t exist, and it seemed like free love was a good idea.” That’s not all bad, however. These days, young people are far more likely to use condoms than in generations past. Unsurprisingly, the teen pregnancy rate has decreased dramatically as well.

There’s also the added sexual hindrance of the commonality of young folks’ boomeranging back to their parents’ places. “You’re not going to bring a parade of partners through Mom’s basement,” Jean Twenge, a professor and researcher at San Diego State University, told Vice.

But if less sex sounds like a depressing stat, fear not. Because while it might not be the most popular trend, it could very well be the best time in history to not be having sex. Listed below are five fine alternatives to indulge in.

1. Outercourse

Conversations surrounding sex don’t begin and end at penetrative intercourse, not anymore at least. “Penetration of one’s body part into another’s body cavity is only one small part of being sexual,” Terri Vanderlinde, a board-certified practitioner in sexuality counseling, told AlterNet via email.

“Many people have fabulous and satisfying sexual encounters based on ‘outercourse.’” She also introduced us to the concept of “very erotic non-insertion sex,” abbreviated to VENIS. “Remember, ‘sex’ does not necessarily mean penetration, and ‘pleasure and satisfaction’ do not necessarily mean orgasm,” she added.

2. Masturbation

Adult industry marketing specialist Adella Curry reminds us that the conversation is starting to open itself up to everyone’s favorite alternative to partnered sex: masturbation. There are chatrooms, support groups, even advice columns on the subject, like Better Than The Hand. “Their mission is to de-shame male masturbation and create a safe place for guys to talk about what works and what doesn’t,” says Curry. Publications like Vice, Salon and AlterNet are here to offer detailed information on the subject.

Of course, we’ve got to give a nod to another masturbatory favorite: pornography. In 2015, Pornhub received 21.2 billion visits to its site. Its analytics team concluded that its audience spent a total of 4,392,486,580 hours watching porn. If sex isn’t on the table, you can always look to porn as an accessible alternative.

3. Virtual Relationships

Among the many bridges technology has helped gap, we can also thank it for introducing us to new forms of erotic entertainment. “You have people in their early 20s now, they grew up on the internet, and their first sexual experiences may have been virtual. Virtual sexuality is something they’re very well versed in,” says Stefan, owner of the camming social network MyGirlFund.

When we interviewed a woman named Stacy, a camming professional working on the site, she explained that many of her clients sign up to explore an otherwise embarrassing kink. Some do it to enjoy a no-strings-attached sexual relationship. And others, she says, do so by way of necessity. Stacy told us, “I think some of these guys are drawn into the digital relationship because they don’t feel comfortable with themselves. They don’t talk to women at all. This way, they get to.”

4. Virtual Sex

The virtual world has also begun to open itself up to new modes of sexuality. VR is becoming an increasingly popular porn niche where users can take claim in a sexuality that may not be “real” in the traditional sense, but sure enough feels like it.

“Sex is healthy, but sometimes the right partner is just not in your life for one reason or another,” says Daniel Peterson, the founder and CEO of VRPorn.com. “VR porn is the closest that technology has ever come to the real thing, and it gets better all the time. We hear many users commenting on the unexpected intimacy that they feel with the actors.”

5. Sex Toys… and Robots

Long gone are the days where masturbation was an activity accompanied only by some lotion and a box of tissues. Today’s sex toy market has ballooned into a multibillion-dollar industry. Blow job machines, iPod vibrators and full-blown sex robots are all on the menu. And while some of these toys may lean toward indulgence, many are designed for the sole purpose of bringing more orgasms into the bedroom.

Some sex therapists have even started prescribing vibrator u sage to women who have difficulty achieving orgasm. The new products on the market are increasingly targeted toward exploring new forms of sexual pleasure (more notably, in the realm of anal play), be it with a partner or on your own.

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For those who aren’t satisfied with the new options available, hang tight. If you really want to have sex, you’ll get there, eventually. Life has a harsh way of reminding us that we don’t always get to call the shots. Sex will happen; you might just have to wait around until the opportunity presents itself.

Carrie Weisman is an AlterNet staff writer who focuses on sex, relationships and culture. Got tips, ideas or a first-person story? Email her.

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