I lost my virginity at 18 to the guy that is now my husband. I didn’t think of my virginity as some precious flower, but the “get it over with” perspective isn’t very smart.
Your first time can potentially be painful, so I’d rather wait for someone I like and trust to make it a decent experience. Some guy that’s only in it to get off doesn’t give a shit about how you feel. I know too many girls that regret their first time for this reason. I didn’t want it to be a bad memory.
The biggest thing for me was being aware of STD’s. I was on birth control before having sex, and I planned on using a condom, so I wasn’t too worried about pregnancy. Condoms don’t protect you from all STD’s, though. My sister got genital herpes from the second guy she ever had sex with, using a condom, when the guy was not having an outbreak. Of course, she wasn’t aware he had it until she got it. Surprise! Now she has to live with painful monthly outbreaks and having to tell sexual partners she has it before being intimate. No thanks.
I’m glad I waited until I did. It was a good experience (and I didn’t end up with herpes). It wasn’t awkward or embarrassing and it was nice knowing he wasn’t just in it for an orgasm. He waited 6 months for it, too. Also, sex wasn’t, and still isn’t, a huge deal to me. I could easily go without it, so why would I feel the need to “get it out of the way” so I can have “fun” sleeping with a bunch of guys I barely know?
Telling teen girls losing their virginity is “no big deal” and they should “get it over with” is how you end up with a pregnant teenager with chlamydia.