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Virgins' Expectations and Nonvirgins' Reports

How Adolescents Feel about Themselves

Florida International University

Rick S. Zimmerman

University of Kentucky

Jennifer A. Katz

University of Georgia

This study examined anticipated attitudes of virgins and actual attitudes of nonvirgins regarding how they would feel or felt about themselves, respectively, after losing their virginity. Data were collected over5 monthsfrom high school students in Miami, Florida (N = 1,305). The degree to which virgins predicted they would feel better afterfirst experiencing sex was significantly less than that which nonvirgins reported actually feeling. For virgins, anticipated positive feelings were associated with being male, placing less value on postponing intercourse, being a peer-influenced decision maker, and being African American. Reports offeeling better by nonvirgins were associated with being male and havingagreaternumberof sexpartners. Thefinding thatnonvirgins reported having felt better afterfirst sex suggests an HIV risk-reduction intervention should emphasize thatfeeling good is not to be a state of being one would be willing to die for

Journal of Adolescent Research, Vol. 10, No. 2, 291-306 (1995)
DOI: 10.1177/0743554895102006


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