Gone But Not Forgotten: Virginity Loss and Current Sexual Satisfaction

Abstract

Although loss of virginity remains a salient experience throughout a person's lifetime, little is known about whether this experience has implications for later sexual functioning (e.g., sexual satisfaction). Previous research tends to ask participants about their first time and their current sexual functioning concurrently, which may lead to spillover effects. The authors investigated the relation between first-time sexual intercourse and current sexual satisfaction using an event-sampling methodology. Participants were 331 undergraduate students who answered questions about their first-time sexual encounter and their current sexual functioning (e.g., sexual satisfaction, sexual depression). Participants then described and rated each of their sexual interactions for 2 weeks. Results show that participants who had more positive first-time sexual experiences (e.g., intimacy, respect) report greater feelings of sexual satisfaction and esteem and less sexual depression. A series of multilevel random coefficient modeling analyses revealed that positive first-time experiences were predictive of physical and emotional satisfaction in their current sexual interactions, even when controlling for global sexual satisfaction. These results suggest that one's first-time sexual experience is more than just a milestone in development. Rather, it appears to have implications for their sexual well-being years later.