I “waited,” but it wasn’t really waiting. It was an inability to find someone willing to be with me. I wish I would not have had to wait. It might have made me feel better in several ways. First, I would not have had to feel like such a loser. Second, I would have gotten some comfort, affection, and closeness that I both desired, and desperately needed.
That was the worst time of my life up until the last year. I would not wish it on anyone. Maybe I’m expecting to much for sex to have helped. But it wasn’t just the sex; it was the relationship that would have made lovemaking possible.
Anyway, these decisions are personal, and what is right is different for everyone. If you’re not ready for it, don’t let peer pressure push you into it. If you think you are ready, get a reality check. Make sure you’re doing for the right reasons—i.e., not just to lose your virginity.
The right reason is that it is a way to express the love you and your partner both feel for each other. Of course, you must also be mature enough to handle birth control and to handle the consequences if birth control doesn’t work. These are not trivial criteria, and I think far too many teens think it’s just a game that doesn’t mean much. Personally, I don’t think sex is or ever will be a game, but there are quite a few others around here who see it otherwise.