Do Idaho Teens Lose Their Virginity Sooner Than Others Around the U.S.?

The 40-Year-Old Virgin? More Like 16

The thinks tanks at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention had to sift through some pretty frisky business for their 2019 Sexual Risk Behaviors study.

When surveyed by the public health organization, nearly 60% of high school students indicated they were sexually active. More specifically, the teens reported they had engaged in penetrative intercourse. However, because one's virginity status is "self-identified," the CDC notes it is "illegal and largely unnecessary to scientifically confirm if someone is a virgin or not." Therefore, data in the context of the study emphasizes virginity as an indicator of social norms in a given state.

So, what does that social norm look like in the Gem State?

Let's Talk About Sex, Idaho

Data reflects 17 is the average age at which American teens lose their virginity. Teen boys are typically 17, whereas teen girls are usually 17 years and three months. According to OkayCupid, Utah leads the nation with the highest number of teenage virgins at 20%, followed closely by Idaho, Iowa, South Dakota, and Arkansas. OkayCupid's statisticians attribute the percentage to each state's devout religious and conservative values that emphasize the preservation of the nuclear family.

While a large portion of Idaho teens are sexually active (according the data cited), they're no different than the majority of their peers across the country. Whether that's right or wrong isn't for us to decide. However, we were surprised at how many Idaho and Utah teens were "in the game" so to speak. Were you?

If you have an opinion you'd like to share, you can email ryan.valenzuela@townsquaremedia.com.

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