Featured Image Credit: Universal Pictures
Topics: Sex and Relationships, US News
Liv Bridge
A new study has shed light on the surprising amount of adults in the US who are virgins.
As many modern TV shows and movies convey we're living in an open, transparent sex-positive society, like many things in showbiz, it might not be conveying reality.
In actuality, sex may no longer be considered a universal rite of passage to adulthood that it once was, at least according to a new study.
Data from DatingAdvice.com and the Kinsey Institute has revealed a huge amount of adults, particularly youngsters, are holding onto their virginity at surprising rates with some interesting trends across genders and societal attitudes.
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Based on a representative sample of 2,000 single adults between the ages of 18 to 91, the team uncovered a whopping one in five, roughly 22 percent, of the US population have never engaged in partnered sex ever.
Researchers Dr Justin Lehmiller and Dr Amanda Gesselman say this means virginity is far more common and less stigmatized than pop culture likes to suggest.
And that's not all, as out of every generation, youngsters belonging to Gen Z and millennials appear to be pioneering the virgin movement.
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Nearly half of Gen Z adults (48 percent) as well as 26 percent of millennials identify as virgins, as per the survey.
Meanwhile, there are fewer '40-year-old virgins' than we perhaps might think, as both Gen X and Boomers are apparently more keen at getting frisky between the sheets. Only 15.4 percent and 7.6 percent identified as virgins respectively.
The team further challenged the stereotype that virginity is gendered, finding both men (23 percent) and women (21 percent) report almost identical rates of virginity.
As for dating, 55 percent of American adults said they wouldn't be turned off from dating a virgin, again debunking the long-held theory that virginity could be seen as a red flag or deal breaker.
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Younger generations were again more open-minded when it came to dating a virgin, with Gen Z (69 percent) and millennials (60 percent) sharing a high willingness.
Interestingly, and despite fewer virgins among their demographic, Gen X and Boomers were also pretty willing to give dating a virgin a chance at 51 percent and 43 percent respectively.
Men were even more willing than women, at 64 percent compared to 45 percent, almost a 20 percent difference.
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The study suggests this women may be 'more cautious' about dating virgins while men may view it as a 'non-issue'.
The researchers note that the study illuminates how virginity is multi-generational, pointing to prove how sexual recession 'isn't limited to teens and college-aged adults' as it is 'persisting' for people in their late 20s and 30s.
"This finding reflects a growing trend of sexual abstinence among younger adults," the study notes.
"Instead, many young Americans may be opting to delay their sexual experiences due to a range of socioeconomic factors, such as mental health, changing values, economic pressures, or a re-prioritization of relationships."