Virginity Definition and Differences in Cultures

The textbook definition of virginity presumes a guy is no longer a virgin once he has inserted his penis into a woman\\'s vagina and ejaculates or a woman is no longer a virgin once they have taken a man\\'s penis inside their vagina, which results in the breaking of the hymen (Bearman & Brückner, 2015). This definition is flawed in that it presumes that we live in a perfect society where sex only takes place between men and women. However, we have lesbians and gays and the also have sex, which means that they would be virgins even if they have enjoyed sex with each other. Lesbians would not allow a guy to penetrate their vagina, but they would enjoy sex with another woman and this would mean they would no longer be virgins. The same applies to men who have sexual relations with other men, they are no longer considered to still have their virginity. Therefore, the correct definition should be virginity is the state of an individual never having had any sexual intercourse.

In most cultures, virginity is only emphasized for women. A woman who still has her hymen intact is presumed to be a virgin even if they have had other forms of sexual intercourse. If the hymen is broken even if the woman has never had sexual intercourse they are considered to be sexually experienced and most men would not marry her. In Asian societies, virginity is not just vital for sexual control, but also as a business asset. A family can sell off their virgin daughter in order to move up their status or maintain their high status. Islamic cultures lay great emphasis on the woman being a virgin on their wedding night. A woman who is no longer a virgin can be punished by their family because they have brought shame on the family (Amer, Howarth, & Sen, 2015). Punishment can include physical beating or even killing her. Traditionally African cultures placed great emphasis on virginity before marriage and virginity was something that a woman was proud of. However, this is no longer the case and there is no emphasis on preserving one’s virginity anymore.