{"id":2792,"date":"2019-11-26T09:48:24","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T15:48:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=2792"},"modified":"2019-11-26T11:33:23","modified_gmt":"2019-11-26T17:33:23","slug":"virginity-as-a-social-construction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2019\/11\/26\/virginity-as-a-social-construction\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginity as a Social Construction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Research shows that by age 18, 65% of people in the US have had sexual intercourse. Graph via Guttmacher Institute<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Recently, the American rapper T.I. acknowledged that he attends gynecological examinations with his daughter to \u201ccheck her hymen is still intact.\u201d While shocking to many, T.I.\u2019s boasting and the public debates it has provoked reveal deeply rooted cultural norms and beliefs about  virginity that young women encounter on a daily basis. Sociological research provides a closer look at how virginity is both socially constructed and discriminatory against girls and women.
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People understand virginity and its subsequent \u201closs\u201d through several frames. Traditionally, most people view virginity as a sexual transition from childhood to adulthood through vaginal-penile intercourse, though people often recognize virginity loss among same-sex couples who engage in other forms of genital sex. For some, virginity is viewed as a gift that may be given to another sexual partner; for others, virginity functions as a stigma that prevents them from progressing in their social life. Still, others see the loss of virginity as one step in the process of growing up and developing healthy relationships with romantic partners. Research has also shown that views and interpretations often change over time, especially in response to new experiences. Overall, these variations demonstrate that virginity is far from a simple biological truth. 
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