“I Felt Ashamed”: 12 Virgins & Late Bloomers Share Why They Haven’t Had Sex

In our society, virginity and sexual experience are something that people are judged by. If you have too many sexual partners or lost your virginity when you were "too young", you're a slut. On the other side of the coin, if you are not sexually experienced enough, you are deemed a prude.

When it comes to sex and 'losing' virginities, the stories often tell that it's something you should do in high school years. Any virgins above the age of 18? Well, they're just a loser.

But this is far from the truth.

People wait for sex for myriad reasons that have nothing to do with their perceived fuckability. In fact, studies have shown that Millenials and Gen Z are having sex later and less than previous generations. Late bloomers are everywhere, and can look like anything!

Refinery29 Australia asked readers about their stories of being a sexual "late bloomer" — from those who felt judgement at 'losing' their virginity after school, to those who are virgins in their 30s.