Real Health

The age of losing virginity is dictated by genetics. That would be the genes that determine the age at first intercourse and early sexual behavior.

The age of first sexual intercourse is more or less programmed into our genes. This shows thatStudy conducted by Nancy Segal on twins separated at birth. Researchers have shown that genes accounted for one third of cases the difference between the age at which young people had lost their virginity and the average age of first sexual intercourse, which is 19 years in the United States.

But Nancy Segal, a psychologist at the University of California, nuance the findings in New Scientist: "There is no gene to lose its virginiing to a certain age, but rather inherited behavioral characters, like impulsivity, that may participate in determining the age of first sexual intercourse. "

For each twin, the researchers separated the genetic factors environmental factors, such as education and the principles instilled by the family. Their results show that age at first kiss, marriage and first child are related to âge first sex among women. In addition, people who had early first sex are so-called less happy and less happy in their family life than the others … results to be taken with great caution, of course!

Source: Age at first intercourse in twins reared apart: Genetic influences and life history events, Nancy L. Segal, Elsevier, avri 2009