By ROSIE WATERLAND
The 50 Shades of losing my virginity.
I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon and reference Fifty Shades of Grey in a piece of writing. Given my up-to-date timing, it’s obvious I’m very much on the cultural pulse.
To be honest, I needed a little time to take it all in. And not for the flushed, rosy-cheeked reason you’re thinking of. It wasn’t really my cup of tea, but I do think it’s fabulous that it’s awakened the sexual beast in so many women.
The thing that irritated me was the virginity scene. It was painless, pleasurable and perfect. Three things that I’m sure no woman associates with losing her virginity. An orgasm during the first time? Really? The bar was raised incredibly high for young virgins in Fifty Shades, and I’m worried that some (all) of them are in for a very rude awakening.
For a lady, losing one’s virginity is very rarely a pleasant experience. It can be with someone you love; it can be sweet. But it’s also going to be awkward, messy and it’s almost certainly going to hurt. I’ve never met a woman who orgasmed the first time. I’m sure it can happen, but there’s no way it’s the norm. And going in to that experience expecting earth-shattering, romantic waves of pleasure is going to leave a lot of girls very disappointed.
So I’d like to present a virginity story to offset the one in Fifty Shades: mine. No two virginity stories are the same, so I can’t speak for all women, but I would like to offer up something that makes others feel OK about their first time being more hilarious than romantic.
Here goes:
I was sixteen, he was my first serious boyfriend and we’d been rubbing up against each other pretty aggressively for a few weeks. Soon the top came off, then the bra. When we moved on to make-out sessions in just our knickers I knew it was time. There was nowhere else to go but… in. And don’t get me wrong – I wanted to, but I was a little scared. I’d only figured out how to use a tampon six months earlier, so I wasn’t exactly well acquainted with whatever the situation was down there. Let alone his weird-looking bits.
It wasn’t particularly magical when we gave it the go-ahead. It was the middle of the day and we’d somehow transitioned from Oprah into some heavy, almost-naked petting.
“Wanna do it?” I said. (Always the romantic.)
He acted sufficiently concerned about whether or not I was ready, although I’m certain that inwardly he was crying tears of joy for the balls that were slowly turning from blue to purple.
So, having begun the beautiful journey of giving up my flower by asking if we should ‘do it’, it was time to talk protection. I was on the pill already for my skin, but as sexual interns we felt we needed more. I remembered seeing condoms in the upstairs bathroom, so we decided on that plan of action. This is where things took a turn.
I think we both assumed that condoms were a one-size-fits-all situation. Did I mention we were sixteen? Anyway, after taking ten minutes to pry one out of its plastic-packet fortress, he went to put it on and… well… let’s just say whoever hid these condoms in the upstairs bathroom was not as well endowed as the young man currently in my bed.
Yep, it got stuck. Halfway down. It wasn’t going any further and it wasn’t coming back up. That thing was on tight, but we both assumed it was meant to be tight and if we just kept forcing it… Bad move.
Panic took hold of the room. I suggested scissors. He suggested scissors would go nowhere near his penis. I felt helpless, watching my first love hop around the room naked with tears streaming down his face. My next mistake? Deciding this was time to mention that my dad once told me cutting off blood flow like this is how farmers get animals’ tails to fall off.
He hurled himself onto the bed. I approached, not realising my naked body was only making the problem worse (you mean they can’t they control when it moves?). “Put your freaking top back on!” he yelled. I obliged, and gradually, the killer condom loosened. As soon as it seemed safe, I reached down and yanked it off.
It was the most intimate I had ever been with a penis.
Clearly, we had experienced a false start, but that wasn’t going to stop us from trying again. (Not that day, obviously, the remainder of which I spent scratching his head while he lay in the foetal position.)
It actually took a few more tries – I think the initial scare had caused me to close-up shop. And when it finally did happen, it was kind of by accident. We were in the midst of another make-out session when it just… slipped in. It hurt, definitely, but I think eventually, it gets to a point where the desire to make contact outweighs the fear of having a massive, foreign entity jammed inside you. So you just do it.
I can’t even remember the rest. The first thing I do remember is going to the toilet and laughing hysterically because my wee came out like a flood gate had been opened. And not yet understanding that a woman needs some mystique about her, I came running back into the bedroom screaming, “I peed funny! I peed funny!” A true class act.
So, multiple attempts at losing my virginity began with “Wanna do it?” and ended with “I peed funny”. Not exactly the most romantic of stories but that’s what I’m stuck with. I like it actually – it makes me laugh. It’s unique and I wouldn’t change it. It’s awkward and funny and sweet and slightly embarrassing. All the things a good virginity story should be.
But don’t let it encourage you to give up on a passionate Fifty Shades-style sex life. Things certainly get better; you’ve just got to get through some pretty awkward practice first. I was with that boyfriend for three years and we went on to have lots of pleasurable bedroom adventures. But that first time was the only time I peed funny. And things can only go up from there.
Rosie Waterland is a writer based in Sydney. She finds her own jokes particularly hilarious. Follow her blog or twitter.
Was your first time as eventful as Rosie’s?








Comments
44 Comments so far
Great article!
First time was awkward. On our almost-first time (my first, he’d done it once before) it didn’t really work, we couldn’t coordinate our efforts enough to get it in, so gave up. On the for-real first time we were much more coordinated. It hurt a little, I bled a little (although it was right at the tail end of my period so it could have been from that) but I did enjoy it and had a small orgasm. I felt so different afterwards! So grown up. So nauseated. Oh. Wait… Yep, pregnant. I was just 17. We’d thought we’d be ok as it was 2 days after my period. (this was about 25 years ago, so we didn’t really think about STDs – not so much info back then and thought contraception wasn’t needed because of the timing. FOOLS!) We terminated the pregnancy. I wasn’t so happy about feeling grown up after all that, and it certainly tainted my early sexual experiences as I was then completely paranoid about getting pregnant again. However it brought us close together and we were in love for several years. He was a lovely first, despite all the angst.
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Sooo funny !!!
I LOL’d (yeah I can’t believe I used that term either!) soo many times
Thanks for a very entertaining read !!
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hehehe love this article, had a good giggle, just wat i needed after a shitty shift at work!! i love reading and usually tear through books in a couple days but i still have not finished the first 50 shades book…that virginity scene annoyed me too…pretty much all he has to do is look at her and she orgasms.
For my first time i was 17, with my first boyfriend, we’d been together for about 7months. i had no real expectations of losing my virginity, never really viewed it as special, kinda just wanted it to be over and done.
we were a little bit drunk after a friends 18th party. we went back to his parents house where 3 of his friends were staying next door in the loungeroom *cringe*….we started making out and I just said “i think we should do it”. He had condoms in his drawer that his best mate had given him. we were both virgins and helpful things like Lube had never even occured to us, the combination of alcohol and nerves were not great in aiding the entry, it hurt like my poor nether regions were being sandpapered! we had to stop before he came cos it was hurting too much and i was thinking the whole time “this is what sex is??? THIS IS SHIIIT!!!!” the next day i had to work all day and bled. tried again the next week sober and with lube (after some advice from more experienced friends) , and it was a much better experience (still not great, but much better!!)
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My first time remains one of the top sexual experiences of my life! I don’t know if that means he was very good, or subsequent men have been very bad…
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My first time was with my current partner. We were about 16/17 at the time and had been together for about 6 months. It didn’t work out at all as his brothers came home and it was all awkward as I wasn’t meant to be at his place.
Didn’t try it again until about 6 months after that and whilst it wasn’t amazing, it’s definitely the best I could have hoped for. It’s sad because I was the only one in my friendship group at the time who was actually happy with the first experience.
Now obviously after 10 years of practice, it’s much better!
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My first time was very underwhelming. I was 15 (I know), I’d been with the guy for a couple weeks (Iknow, I know) and everyone else I knew was doing it so I wanted to get it over with too (I know, ok!) Tried it the first time and I was so anxious that he wasnt able to get it in at all and it was so painful that I made him stop, tried again a week later with plenty of foreplay and it was a lot easier, it wasnt pleasurable and I didnt orgasm, I remember thinking ‘is this it?’ so I bother didnt do it at all again until about a year later with my high school sweetheart after we had been dating for about 3 months, and who I was with for nearly 5 years. For a while I wished I had waited till I met him because I would have loved for him to have been my first (I was his), but ah well, you live you learn.
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I also had a fantastic experience 1st time I had sex… There was plenty of foreplay and what I now know to have been one of the best orgasms of my life… there was no bleeding and definitely no pain…. It was with a man who true cared for me and waited till I was ready…. It is truly a very fond memory and one day I will look up my exboyfriend and thank him for giving me such a positive 1st experience. The bar was raised very high that night and every guy since has been compared against my 1st sexual partner…
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My first time was so horrible that I started writing about it here and couldn’t even finish it because I kept cringing. Gah.
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My first time was with a boyfriend who I trusted and felt totally fine with. It was also his first time too which I think took the pressure off a lot. We didn’t even really try to enjoy it too much. It was like we had a silent agreement to get the first one over and done with and then we could move on past he awkwardness and get good at it!!
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Has 50 Shades set a new benchmark for sexual experience? It certainly set a benchmark for shitting writing! My retinas almost detached and combusted, so lousy was the reading experience!
It was almost as lousy as my losing my ‘v’ plates (great idiom!). Guy thought he was a monstrous stud, I thought he was a monstrous dud. Went like a jackhammer, and I doubt he coudl find a clitoris with both hands and a torch.
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Hilarious writing, and loved the honesty!
I lost mine to my lovely ex, who had a penis the size of my little finger. Needless to say, the virginity loss wasn’t painful so much as sensationless! The next guy I slept with was so big I couldn’t even wrap my fingers around it – so I feel like I lost my viriginity twice!
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You think getting a condom stuck is bad? My boyfriend at the time tried so hard to get it in, he split his foreskin and rushed off the bathroom with a bleeding penis.
Naturally, we didn’t try for another week or so (yes he waited a LONG time to try again.)
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Oh Rosie. You are one funny, funny lady. I loved every word of this! xx
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My first time was pretty painful, just because things were a little tight down there, and I knew that would be the case. I have absolutely no regrets though; it was with a very gentle, patient man who made the experience the best it could have been. I’m glad it was with him and not anyone else. There was a point where it was all a little too much, so we stopped and just cuddled until I was ready. No orgasm, but boy was the second time around so much better!
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This is an honest, generous and funny tale of personal experience.
However, the author talks about condom use as optional because she was already on the pill when she lost her virginity. The pill cannot protect any sexually active person from sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually transmitted diseases can have life-long consequences.
In an article ostensibly addressing sexually inexperienced or information-seeking readers it seems irresponsible not to clearly make the point that safe sex isn’t just about pregnancy.
This issue is not just relevant to young people or those who are sexually inexperienced – women returning to dating after long-term relationship break-ups are among the most at risk of sexually transmitted disease.
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Oh RUBBISH! I just ended a long term relationship and I OF COURSE know that I have to use condoms with the next partner I sleep with!
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I thought this too at first but then I think they were both virgins at the time… sexually transmitted diseases would have been a fairly low priority I guess.
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What is it with the pee thing!? The exact same thing happened to me when I first was sexually active, everytime about 3 mins after Id need to pee and it was like I hadnt pee’d for 10 hours! I always called it my wee-walk of shame lol
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Excellent title, and the content didn’t disappoint! Great article, worth the read.
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I’m telling this story for those who are yet to lose their V and want more stories as it is often my favourite thing on mamamia to find out about others lives.
I was 20 when i lost mine. I had thought for years and years that it was a special thing and considered waiting for marriage. However over time I realised that while it is a memory you don’t easily forget, and important to feel ready for the step, its not the be all and end all of sex.
My guy was a man i’d been dating for 3 weeks (around 6 dates) and there was definately chemistry. We talked for hours and had lots of fun. Unfortunately living with parents (mine) and housemates (many of his inc shared rooms) we ended up in the back of my car. It was a little clumsy and the angles wern’t the best, but it was sweet. It hurt a little as it was such a new experience but didn’t last long. We also had lots of foreplay that helped. I only spotted, not made a massive mess. As he was a virgin too, the first time was over in just a few minutes. But the second time 30 mins later was much better.
At the end of the day, it can be awkward the first time. Equally, it can be amazing. But i would say that it will almost certainly not be the best sex of your life. Just as with any new partner, sometimes it takes a couple of times to find out what the person likes, find a rhythm and relax.
It just got better and better from there
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Hilarious. Made me feel slightly better about mine. My boyfriend at the time had no interest in trying to teach me anything, I had had very little prior experience at that point and I’m fairly sure the first time we attempted sex he may have gone into, erm, a different area to where he was supposed to (or tried to)…. The next time I think it went correctly – as you may have noticed I’ve attempted to block this from my mind!
I also find it interesting that some women are assuming the pain comes from the hymen breaking. That’s not actually the whole story – at least the way I think of it. The fact is the first time you attempt sex your v is probably pretty bloody tight and you’re not always supremely relaxed. Trying to push something into that if you’re not all that ready (and foreplay makes a massive difference) is pretty painful! I had a decent break between sexual partners and the next time I had sex, it was kinda painful because everything had tightened up again.
Thanks for the laugh Rosie!
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I’m proud to say I’ve never read 50 shades of grey and have absolutely no intention of ever doing so.
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Wow I’m so tired of every article relating to sex in the slightest mentioning 50 shades garbage with the first few paragraphs. Yuck.
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I just finished Fifty Shades this morning and I have to say I thought it was pretty lame and very poorly written. I don’t know of any girl who comes on their first time (or enjoys the first go for that matter!)
My first time was awful! With my then boyfriend, I was 16, he was 18 and we were both clueless… It was painful and I ended up with gravel rash on my back… need I say more???
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Gawd I couldn’t STAND 50 shades, not only was it so totally unrealistic with the sex scenes and her coming multiple times just by flicking her eyes in his direction (practically) but who on EARTH has conversations where they say the person’s name every.single.sentence.
Hi Mr Grey. Hi Ms Steele. How are you Mr Grey. Very well Ms Steele. You look good today Mr Grey. As do you Mr Steele.
Oh my god just drop kick the book over the other side of the room, stat!
Did I mention I didn’t much care for the book? This piece was much more enjoyable though
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You have to keep in mind grey was a sex god.
I turned my nose up at the book when he used his crop whip on her hoo hoo and whipped it 3 times and she came.
But there ARE men out there like him.
It does happen. Ana got lucky.
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HILARIOUS! Why isn’t that story ever told in the MOVIES! Love your writin, your like an Aussie Lena Dunham! Where’s your TV SHOW! Hilarious, hilarious, honest and hilarious!
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That was sooo funny! You paint a wonderful picture Rosie. My first time was wonderful (it hurt) but I was with a guy I was head over heals with and he was a few years older so I felt really safe and loved. I remember we went to Sizzlers after, I remember thinking I felt so grown up and different and was sure everyone could tell.
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Ps. very funny story though
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Ok- I don’t want to be too harsh here- but I do want to say this for the benefit of other women and girls out there who may now feel as though they are not normal having read this piece. To begin with, I’m going to assume that by ‘losing your virginity’ you’re referring to the first time a penis enters a vagina (which by the way is totally heteronormative and basically implies that life long lesbians are virgins on the day they die… but watevs… you’ve used it that way, so I’ll stick to that). Your characterisation of first time P in V sex as painful, messy etc is true for some people and totally untrue for others. There is no normal on this stuff. Plenty of girls break their hymens well before they ever dream of intercourse, others dont. Some women have large hymens that break and bleed, others have just a tiny crescent of skin that stays in tact well after intercourse. In my experience a lot of girls are really hung up on the question “what will my first time be like?” and “Am I still a virgin” (after being digitally pentrated/ using a tampon etc”… ) the truth is that there is no normal- and perpetuating the cliche of the bloody, messy, painful experience is just as alienating for some girls as the perfect, painless, oragasmic/ 50 shades clich is for others (including you).
I don’t mean to be slamming you here- but a little more sex-positivity wouldn’t go astray…
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Sorry Nina, I don’t agree with your take on this at all. I think it is a VERY positive piece on losing one’s virginity. As you mentioned not everyone has a painful, messy and orgasam-less experience – mine was not painful at all (hymen damaged years before) and I really enjoyed her story and can appreciate that she is proud of it.. I think that Rosie is pointing out it’s not all 50 Shades makes it out to be and that’s a great thing in my book.
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Agree Ruth, I think it is a positive account too. And a great story! Just to bring up another point though – I think women are so caught up in the whole hymen thing being the cause of the pain that some girls experience. I actually would be willing to bet that the cause of the pain for most of these girls is anxiety – of their own bodies and of the dangly thing on the body coming towards them. As you become more comfortable with yourself and your partner this dissipates rapidly! Thankfully!
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Ruth you are right, I was so disturbed by the opening pars I jumped straight to the comments section (which I admit is not wise). But I did go back and read the actual artilce (which I think would have fared better as a stand alone text without the losing-your-v-plates-is-traumatic intro) and it was very funny- as noted in the comment I posted straight after
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She actually stated that this is HER story, and doesn’t mean this is normal or the way it should be, just telling how she ‘lost her virginity’.
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Your comment really made me think about the idea of alienation caused by the media in general, making up all these ideas about what is normal and preferencing one experience over another- very interesting point! Although in reading Rosie’s article I didnt really get the feeling because it was just a recount of her personal experience. Thanks for sharing.
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Nice essay Nina. I feel like we read different articles.
Rosie was writing about losing HER own individual virginity, not a collective loss of ALL women’s virginity across the entire sexual-attraction spectrum. Although I would love to see someone attempt that piece of writing.
Yep, Rosie is hetero. That’s right, she likes c0ck – don’t sue! A few of us do. Rest assured, if Rosie was a lesbian (and I hope you don’t expect her to apologise for not being one?) she would have written about losing her virginity with a girl. For someone so hellbent on non-stereotyping and non-exclusion, you seem rather hung up on the biological technicalities and what equipment was used in Rosie’s case.
Also Rosie was comparing her own – ‘heteronormative’ (is that correct?) first time experience against a hetero first time experience between a girl and guy in popular fictional book. Apples with apples not oranges… or whatevs.
I hope you enjoyed reading my essay.
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a great response, thank you.
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I’m with Nina on this. My first time was fine. No mess, no pain, no blood and really not awkward at all. He had no idea I was a virgin and I never told him. I was ready and had no regrets. I don’t know why so many women continue to scare girls with horror stories on the hope it will make them wait!
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Reading this I feel very very lucky! I did orgasm the first time, which surprised me as much as it did him
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Love it. Thanks for sharing Rosie
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I pee’d funny when I lost mine !!!!
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I had a couple of orgasms the first time. Between years of gymnastics and horseriding my hymen was well and truly demolished and my partner spent ages on foreplay so there was no pain. Of course it made a huge difference that I was with someone older and much more experienced. Also that I actually had a clear understanding of how things worked. But anyway, it is possible to have amazing sex the first time.
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Ohh, condoms are so not a one size fits all item. My husband and I had cause to buy some in Singapore a while back, only to discover that they’re (a lot) smaller there! Note to self: get enough condoms for the whole holiday before you leave home
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Thanks Rosie.
That was hilarious and a very honest account.
Loved it.
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