virginity
Sign in to savethumb|Youth (1893) by French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau. The colour white has traditionally been associated with ritual purity, innocence, and virginity in Western cultures.
AI overview
Virginity refers to the state of never having engaged in sexual intercourse, a condition that has held significant cultural and social meaning across many societies. Historically, virginity has been associated with concepts like purity and innocence, as reflected in traditions and symbolism—such as the color white representing these ideals in Western cultures.
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Article
25 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Culture
- Concept
- {{anchor|Loss of virginity}}Definitions of virginity loss
- Early loss of virginity
- Female virginity
- Cultural value
- "Proof of virginity"
- Male virginity
- Prevalence of virginity
- Social psychology
- Ethics
- Social norms and legal implications
- Religious views
- Ancient Greece and Rome
- Buddhism
- Hinduism
- Judaism
- Christianity
- Islam
- Sikhism
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|Youth (1893) by French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau. The colour white has traditionally been associated with ritual purity, innocence, and virginity in Western cultures.
Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof, vary. Heterosexuals may or may not consider loss of virginity to occur only through penile–vaginal penetration, while people of other sexual orientations often include oral sex, anal sex, or manual sex in their definitions of virginity loss. The term "virgin" encompasses a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern, and ethical concepts. Religious rituals for regaining virginity exist in many cultures. Some men and women who practice celibacy after losing their virginity consider themselves born-again virgins.