Virginity

Virgin and Maiden redirect here. For other uses, see quences in most societies today.
Virgin (disambiguation) and Maiden (disambiguation).
The term virgin originally only referred to sexually inexVirginity is the state of a person who has never enperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range
of denitions, as found in traditional, modern, and ethical concepts.[3][5][6][7] Heterosexual individuals may or
may not consider loss of virginity to occur only through
penile-vaginal penetration,[3][6][8][9] while people of other
sexual orientations often include oral sex, anal sex or
mutual masturbation in their denitions of losing ones
virginity.[3][7][10]

1 Etymology
The word virgin comes via Old French virgine from the
root form of Latin virgo, genitive virgin-is, meaning
literally maiden or "virgin"a sexually intact young
woman[11] or sexually inexperienced woman. As in
Latin, the English word is also often used with wider reference, by relaxing the age, gender or sexual criteria.[12]
Hence, more mature women can be virgins (The Virgin
Queen), men can be virgins, and potential initiates into
many elds can be colloquially termed virgins; for example, a skydiving virgin. In the latter usage, virgin means
uninitiated.
The Latin word likely arose by analogy with a suit of
lexemes based on vireo, meaning to be green, fresh or
ourishing, mostly with botanic referencein particular, virga meaning strip of wood.[13]
The rst known use of virgin in English is found in a
Middle English manuscript held at Trinity College, CamYouth by French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau. White bridge of about 1200:
has traditionally been associated with ritual purity, innocence
and virginity.

ar haue ... martirs, and confessors, and

uirgines maked faier bode inne to women.
Trinity College Homilies 185 [ms B.15.34
(369)]

gaged in sexual intercourse.[1][2] There are cultural and

religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried
females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor In this, and many later contexts, the reference is specifically Christian, alluding to members of the Ordo
and worth.
Virginum (Order of Virgins), which applies to the
Like chastity, the concept of virginity has traditionally
consecrated virgins known to have existed since the early
involved sexual abstinence before marriage, and then to
church from the writings of the Church Fathers.[14]
engage in sexual acts only with the marriage partner. The
concept of virginity usually involves moral or religious is- By about 1300, the word was expanded to apply also to
sues and can have consequences in terms of social status Mary, the mother of Jesus, hence to sexual virginity exand in interpersonal relationships.[3][4] Although virginity plicitly:
has social implications and had signicant legal implicaConceiud o e hali gast, born o e virgine
tions in some societies in the past, it has no legal conse1

2 CULTURE
marie. Cursor Mundi 24977

2 Culture

The concept of virginity has signicance only in a parFurther expansion of the word to include virtuous (or ticular social, cultural and moral context. According
nave) young women, irrespective of religious connec- to Hanne Blank, virginity reects no known biologiand grants no demonstrable evolutionary
tion, occurred over about another century, until by about cal imperative
[7]
advantage.
1400 we nd:

2.1 Denitions of virginity loss

Voide & vacand of vices as virgyns it ware.
The Wars of Alexander 4665

These are three of the eighteen denitions of virgin from

the rst edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED1,
pages 230-232). Most of the OED1 denitions, however,
are similar.

There are varying understandings as to which types of

sexual activities result in loss of virginity. The traditional
view is that virginity is only lost through vaginal penetration by the penis, consensual or non-consensual, and
that acts of oral sex, anal sex, mutual masturbation or
other forms of non-penetrative sex do not result in loss
of virginity. A person who engages in such acts with no
history of having engaged in vaginal intercourse is often
regarded among heterosexuals and researchers as technically a virgin.[3][6][17][18] By contrast, gay or lesbian individuals often describe such acts as resulting in loss of
virginity.[3][7] Some gay males regard penile-anal penetration as resulting in loss of virginity, but not oral sex
or non-penetrative sex,[3][10] and lesbians may regard oral
sex or ngering as loss of virginity.[3][7][19] Some lesbians
who debate the traditional denition consider whether
or not non-penile forms of vaginal penetration constitute
virginity loss,[19] while other gay men and lesbians assert
that the term virginity is meaningless to them because of
the prevalence of the traditional denition.[3][10] Whether
a person can lose his or her virginity through rape is also
subject to debate, with the belief that virginity can only
be lost through consensual sex being prevalent in some
studies.[3][5]

The German word for virgin is Jungfrau. Jungfrau

literally means young woman, but is not used in this
sense. Instead junge Frau can be used. The rather dated
German word for a young (unmarried) woman, without
implications regarding sexuality, is Frulein. Frulein
was used in German as a title of respect, equivalent to
current usage of Miss in English. Jungfrau is the word
reserved specically for sexual inexperience. As Frau
means woman, it suggests a female referent. Unlike
English, German also has a specic word for a male virgin Jngling ("Youngling"). It is, however, dated too and
rarely used. Jungfrau, with some masculine modier, is
more typical, as evidenced by the lm, The 40-Year-Old
Virgin, about a 40 year-old male virgin, titled in German, Jungfrau (40), mnnlich, sucht".[15] Note that
the term used for the starsign virgo also is Jungfrau, which
makes the above movie title ambiguous. German also dis- Researcher and author Laura M. Carpenter states that detinguishes between young women and girls, who are despite perceptions of what determines virginity loss being
noted by the word Mdchen. The English cognate maid as varied among gay men and lesbians as they are among
was often used to imply virginity, especially in poetry.
heterosexuals, and in some cases more varied among the
German is not the only language to have a specic name former, that the matter has been described to her as peofor male virginity; in French, male virgins are called ple viewing sexual acts relating to virginity loss as acts
"puceau". The Greek word for virgin is parthenos that correspond to your sexual orientation, which sug(, see Parthenon). Although typically applied gests the following: So if you're a gay male, you're supto women, like English, it is also applied to men, in both posed to have anal sex because thats what gay men do.
cases specically denoting absence of sexual experience. And if you're a gay woman, then you're supposed to have
When used of men, it does not carry a strong associa- oral sex, because thats what gay women do. And so those
tion of never-married status. However, in reference to become, like markers, for when virginity is lost.[3]
women, historically, it was sometimes used to refer to The concept of technical virginity or sexual abstinence
an engaged womanparthenos autou ( , through oral sex is popular among teenagers.[18][20] For
his virgin) = his ance as opposed to gun autou ( example, oral sex is common among adolescent girls who
, his woman) = his wife. This distinction is nec- not only fellate their boyfriends to preserve their viressary due to there being no specic word for wife (or ginity, but also to create and maintain intimacy or to
husband) in Greek.
avoid pregnancy.[21] In a 1999 study published in JAMA
By extension from its primary sense, the idea that a virgin has a sexual blank slate,[16] unchanged by any past
intimate connection or experience,[16] can imply that the
person is of unadulterated purity.

(the Journal of the American Medical Association), the

denition of sex was examined based on a 1991 random sample of 599 college students from 29 US states;
it found that 60% said oral-genital contact (like fella-

2.2

Female virginity

tio, cunnilingus) did not constitute having sex.[9][18][22][23]

Stephanie Sanders of the Kinsey Institute, co-author of
the study, stated, Thats the 'technical virginity' thing
thats going on. She and other researchers titled their
ndings Would You Say You 'Had Sex' If ...?"[18] By
contrast, in a study released in 2008 by the Guttmacher
Institute, author of the ndings Laura Lindberg stated that
there is a widespread belief that teens engage in nonvaginal forms of sex, especially oral sex, as a way to be sexually active while still claiming that technically, they are
virgins, but that her study drew the conclusion that re- Le Droit Du Seigneur (1872) by Jules-Arsne Garnier
search shows that this supposed substitution of oral sex
for vaginal sex is largely a myth.[24]
A 2003 study published in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality focusing on denitions of having sex and
noting studies concerning university students from the
United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia reported that "[w]hile the vast majority of respondents
(more than 97%) in these three studies included penilevaginal intercourse in their denition of sex, fewer (between 70% and 90%) respondents considered penileanal intercourse to constitute having sex and that oralgenital behaviours were dened as sex by between 32%
and 58% of respondents.[25] A dierent study by the
Kinsey Institute sampled 484 people, ranging in ages 18
96. Nearly 95 percent of people in the study agreed that
penile-vaginal intercourse meant 'had sex.' But the numbers changed as the questions got more specic. 11 percent of respondents based had sex on whether the man
had achieved an orgasm, concluding that absence of an
orgasm does not constitute having had sex. About 80
percent of respondents said penile-anal intercourse meant
'had sex.' About 70 percent of people believed oral sex
was sex.[22]

innocence, integrity, or purity, and the sexualization of

the individual.
Traditionally, there was a cultural expectation that a female would not engage in premarital sex and would come
to her wedding a virgin and that she would give up her
virginity to her new husband in the act of consummation
of the marriage.
In some cultures, it is so important that an unmarried
female be a virgin that such a female will refrain from
inserting any object into her vagina, such as a tampon,
menstrual cup or undergoing some medical examinations,
so as not to damage the hymen. Some females who have
been previously sexually active (or their hymen has been
otherwise damaged) may undergo a surgical procedure,
called hymenorrhaphy or hymenoplasty, to repair or replace her hymen, and cause vaginal bleeding on the next
intercourse as proof of virginity (see below).[28] In some
cultures, an unmarried female who is found not to be a
virgin, whether by choice or as a result of a rape, can be
subject to shame, ostracism or even an honor killing. In
those cultures, female virginity is closely interwoven with
personal or even family honor, especially those known as
shame societies, in which the loss of virginity before marriage is a matter of deep shame.[4] In other cultures, for
example in many modern-day Western cultures, sexual
abstinence before marriage is not taken as seriously as it
is in those discussed above. In some parts of Africa, the
myth that sex with a virgin can cure HIV/AIDS continues
to prevail, and, as such, many young girls are raped.[29][30]

Virginity pledges (or abstinence pledges) made by heterosexual teenagers and young adults may also include the
practice of technical virginity. In a peer-reviewed study
by sociologists Peter Bearman and Hannah Brueckner,
which looked at virginity pledgers ve years after their
pledge, they found that the pledgers have similar proportions of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and at least
as high proportions of anal and oral sex as those who have
not made a virginity pledge, and deduced that there was
substitution of oral and anal sex for vaginal sex among the Virginity is regarded as a valuable commodity in some
pledgers. However, the data for anal sex without vaginal cultures, and the right to have sexual intercourse with
sex reported by males did not reect this directly.[26][27] a virgin can be bought. For example, in Japan, geishas
would sell the right of rst access in a ritual called
mizuage. There is also a legendary droit du seigneur (the
2.2 Female virginity
lords right, often conated with the Latin phrase "ius
primae noctis") which allegedly entitled the lord of an es2.2.1 Cultural value
tate to take the virginity of the estates virgins on the night
The rst act of sexual intercourse by a female is com- of their marriage, a right which the lord can trade for
monly considered within many cultures to be an impor- money. In the lm Pretty Baby (1978) there is an auction
tant personal milestone. Its signicance is reected in for the virginity of 12-year-old Violet. Modern virginity
expressions such as saving oneself, losing ones virgin- auctions, like that of Natalie Dylan, are discussed in the
ity, taking someones virginity and sometimes as de- 2013 documentary How to Lose Your Virginity.
owering. The occasion is at times seen as the end of It was the law and custom in some societies that required

2 CULTURE

a man who seduced or raped a virgin to marry the girl Some medical procedures, such as hymenotomy, may reor pay compensation to her father.[31] In some countries, quire a womans hymen to be opened.
until the late 20th century, a woman could sue a man who
had taken her virginity but did not marry her. In some
languages, the compensation for these damages are called 2.3 Male virginity
"wreath money".[32]
Historically, and in modern times, female virginity has
been regarded as more signicant than male virginity.
The perception that sexual prowess is fundamental to
2.2.2 Proof of virginity
masculinity has lowered the expectation of male virginity
without lowering the social status.[3][4][41] For example, in
Main article: Virginity test
some Islamic cultures, though premarital sex is forbidden
in the Quran with regard to both men and women, unmarSome cultures require proof of a brides virginity be- ried women who have been sexually active or raped may
fore her marriage. This has traditionally been tested by be subject to name-calling, shunning, or family shame,
the presence of an intact hymen, which was veried by while unmarried men who have lost their virginities are
[4]
either a physical examination (usually by a physician, not. Among various countries or cultures, males are exwho provided a certicate of virginity) or by a proof of pected or encouraged to want to engage in sexual activ[3][41][42][43]
Not
blood, which refers to vaginal bleeding that results from ity, and to be more sexually-experienced.
following
these
standards
often
leads
to
teasing
and
other
the tearing of the hymen after the rst sanctioned sex[3][41][44]
A 2003 study
ual contact.[33][34][35] In some cultures, the nuptial blood- such ridicule from their male peers.
by
the
Guttmacher
Institute
showed
that,
in
most counspotted bed sheet would be displayed as proof of both
tries,
most
men
have
experienced
sexual
intercourse
by
consummation of marriage and that the bride had been a
[45]
[34][35]
their
20th
birthdays.
virgin.
Coerced medical virginity tests are practiced in many regions of the world, but are today condemned as a form of
abuse of women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO): "Sexual violence encompasses a wide
range of acts including (...) violent acts against the sexual
integrity of women, including female genital mutilation
and obligatory inspections for virginity".[36]
Researchers stress that the presence or absence of a hymen is not a reliable indicator of whether or not a female
has been vaginally penetrated.[33] The hymen is a thin lm
of membrane situated just inside the vulva which can partially occlude the entrance to the vaginal canal. It is exible and can be stretched or torn during rst engagement in
vaginal intercourse. However, a hymen may also be broken during physical activity. Many women possess such
thin, fragile hymens, easily stretched and already perforated at birth, that the hymen can be broken in childhood
without the girl even being aware of it, often through athletic activities. For example, a slip while riding a bicycle
may, on occasion, result in the bicycles saddle-horn entering the introitus just far enough to break the hymen.[37]
Further, there is the case of women with damaged hymens undergoing hymenorrhaphy (or hymenoplasty) to
repair or replace their hymens, and cause vaginal bleeding on the next intercourse as proof of virginity.[28] Others consider the practice to be virginity fraud or unnecessary. Some call themselves born-again virgins.
There is a common belief that some women are born
without a hymen,[38][39] but some doubt has been cast on
this by a recent study.[40] It is likely that almost all women
are born with a hymen, but not necessarily ones that will
experience a measurable change during rst experience
of vaginal intercourse.

There exist negative feelings among some women about

the topic of male virginity. Reective of the Guttmacher
study, some women perceive men being virgins past their
early twenties to be an undesirable trait and would decline
marriage due to the mans sexual inexperience; in these
cases, male virginity is considered to threaten the fantasy
some women have about men knowing how to sexually
please them.[43]
Within American culture in particular, male virginity has
been made an object of embarrassment and ridicule in
lms such as Summer of '42, American Pie and The 40Year-Old Virgin, with the male virgin typically being presented as socially inept.[3][44]

2.4 Prevalence of virginity

The prevalence of virginity varies from culture to culture. In cultures which place importance on a females
virginity at marriage, the age at which virginity is lost is
in eect determined by the age at which marriages would
normally take place in those cultures, as well as the minimum marriage age set by the laws of the country where
the marriage takes place.[42]
In a cross-cultural study, At what age do women and men
have their rst sexual intercourse? (2003), Michael Bozon
of the French Institut national d'tudes dmographiques
found that contemporary cultures fall into three broad
categories.[42] In the rst group, the data indicated families arranging marriage for daughters as close to puberty
as possible with signicantly older men. Age of men at
sexual initiation in these societies is at later ages than that
of women, but is often extra-marital. This group included

2.5

Social psychology

sub-Saharan Africa (the study listed Mali, Senegal and

Ethiopia). The study considered the Indian subcontinent
to also fall into this group, although data was only available from Nepal.[42]
In the second group, the data indicated families encouraged daughters to delay marriage, and to abstain from
sexual activity before that time. However, sons are encouraged to gain experience with older women or prostitutes before marriage. Age of men at sexual initiation
in these societies is at lower ages than that of women.
This group includes Latin cultures, both from southern
Europe (Portugal, Greece and Romania are noted) and
from Latin America (Brazil, Chile, and the Dominican
Republic). The study considered many Asian societies to
also fall into this group, although matching data was only
available from Thailand.[42]
In the third group, age of men and women at sexual
initiation was more closely matched. There were two
sub-groups, however. In non-Latin, Catholic countries
(Poland and Lithuania are mentioned), age at sexual initiation was higher, suggesting later marriage and reciprocal
valuing of male and female virginity. The same pattern of
late marriage and reciprocal valuing of virginity was reected in Singapore and Sri Lanka. The study considered
China and Vietnam to also fall into this group, although
data were not available.[42]
Finally, in northern and eastern European countries, age
at sexual initiation was lower, with both men and women
involved in sexual activity before any union formation.
The study listed Switzerland, Germany and the Czech Republic as members of this group.[42]
According to a 2001 UNICEF survey, in 10 out of 12
developed nations with available data, more than two
thirds of young people have had sexual intercourse while
still in their teens. In Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States,
the proportion is over 80%. In Australia, the United
Kingdom and the United States, approximately 25% of
15-year-olds and 50% of 17-year-olds have had sex.[47]
A 2002 international survey sought to study the sexual
behavior of teenagers. 33,943 students aged 15, from
24 countries, completed a self-administered, anonymous,
classroom survey, consisting of a standard questionnaire,
developed by the HBSC (Health Behaviour in Schoolaged Children) international research network. The survey revealed that the majority of the students were still
virgins (they had no experience of sexual intercourse),
and, among those who were sexually active, the majority (82%) used contraception.[48] In a 2005 Kaiser Family Foundation study of US teenagers, 29% of teens reported feeling pressure to have sex, 33% of sexually active teens reported being in a relationship where they felt
things were moving too fast sexually, and 24% had done
something sexual they didnt really want to do.[49] Several polls have indicated peer pressure as a factor in encouraging both girls and boys to have sex.[50][51]

5
Some studies suggest that people commence sexual activity at an earlier age than previous generations.[52][53]
However, the 2005 Durex Global sex survey found that
people worldwide are having sex for the rst time at an
average age of 17.3, ranging from 15.6 in Iceland to 19.8
in India[53] (though evidence has shown that the average age is not a good indicator of sexual initiation, and
that percentages of sexually initiated youth at each age
are preferred).[54][55] A 2008 survey of UK teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 (conducted by YouGov for
Channel 4), showed that only 6% of these teenagers intended to wait until marriage before having sex.[56]
The rates of teenage pregnancy vary and range from
143 per 1000 girls in some sub-Saharan African countries to 2.9 per 1000 in South Korea. The rate for
the United States is 52.1 per 1000, the highest in the
developed world and about four times the European
Union average.[47][57] The teenage pregnancy rates between countries must take into account the level of general sex education available and access to contraceptive
options. Many Western countries have instituted sex education programs, the main objective of which is to reduce
such pregnancies and STDs. In 1996, the United States
federal government shifted the objective of sex education towards "abstinence-only sex education" programs,
promoting sexual abstinence before marriage (i.e., virginity) and prohibiting information on birth control and
contraception. In 2004, President George W. Bush announced a Five-Year Global HIV/AIDS Strategy, also
known as the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR),[58] which committed the U.S. to provide
$15 billion over ve years toward AIDS relief in 15 countries in Africa and the Caribbean, and in Vietnam.[59]
A part of the funding was earmarked specically for
abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
In a peer-reviewed study about virginity pledges (commitments made by teenagers and young adults to refrain from sexual intercourse until marriage), sociologists
Peter Bearman of Columbia and Hannah Brueckner of
Yale estimated that male pledgers were 4.1 times more
likely to remain virgins by age 25 than those who did not
pledge (25% vs 6%), and estimated that female pledgers
were 3.5 times more likely to remain virgins by age 25
than those who did not pledge (21% vs 6%).[26][27]

2.5 Social psychology

Some cultural anthropologists argue that romantic love
and sexual jealousy are universal features of human
relationships.[60] Social values related to virginity reect
both sexual jealousy and ideals of romantic love, and appear to be deeply embedded in human nature.
Psychology explores the connection between thought and
behavior. Seeking understanding of social (or anti-social)
behaviors includes sexual behavior. Joan Kahn and
Kathryn London studied U.S. women married between

SEXUAL MORALITY

1965 and 1985 to see if virginity at marriage inuenced sex, commonly called the age of consent. Social (and lerisk of divorce.
gal) attitudes toward the appropriate age of consent have
drifted upwards in modern times. For example, while
ages from 10 to 13 were typically acceptable in Western
This article examines the relationship becountries during the mid-19th century,[62] the end of the
tween premarital sexual activity and the long19th century and the beginning of the 20th century were
term risk of divorce among U.S. women marmarked by changing attitudes resulting in raising the ages
ried between 1965 and 1985. Simple crossof consent to ages generally ranging from 16 to 18.[63]
tabulations from the 1988 National Survey of
Today, the age of consent varies from 12 years (or onFamily Growth indicate that women who were
set of puberty) to 21, but 16 to 18 is the most common
sexually active before marriage faced a considrange of ages of consent, but some jurisdictions also have
erably higher risk of marital disruption than
a close-in-age exception, allowing two adolescents (as
women who were virgin brides. A bivariate
young as 12 years of age) to have sex with each other proprobit model is employed to examine three
vided their ages are not more than 2 years apart. Some
possible explanations for this positive relationcountries outlaw any sex outside marriage entirely.
ship: (a) a direct causal eect, (b) an indirect eect through intervening high risk beHistorically, and still in many countries and jurisdictions
haviors (such as having a premarital birth or
today, a females sexual experience may be a relevant facmarrying at a young age), and (c) a selectivity
tor in the prosecution of a perpetrator of rape. Also, hiseect representing prior dierences between
torically, a man who took a females virginity could be
virgins and non-virgins (such as family backforced to marry her. In addition, children born as a result
ground or attitudes and values). After a variof premarital sex were subject to various legal and social
ety of observable characteristics are controlled,
disabilities such as being considered illegitimate and thus
non-virgins still face a much higher risk of dibarred from inheriting from the putative father's estate,
vorce than virgins. However, when the analysis
from bearing the fathers surname or title, and support
controls for unobserved characteristics aectfrom the putative father. Many of these legal disabiliing both the likelihood of having premarital sex
ties on children born from extramarital relationships have
and the likelihood of divorce, the dierential
been abolished by law in most Western countries, though
is no longer signicant. These results suggest
social ostracism may still apply.
that the positive relationship between premarital sex and the risk of divorce can be attributed
to prior unobserved dierences (e.g., the will3.2 Religious views
ingness to break traditional norms) rather than
to a direct causal eect.[61]
Main article: Religion and sexuality
All major religions have moral codes covering issues of
sexuality, morality, and ethics. Though these moral codes
do not address issues of sexuality directly, they seek to
regulate the situations which can give rise to sexual inter3.1 Social norms and legal implications
est and to inuence peoples sexual activities and practices. However, the impact of religious teaching has
Main articles: Sexual morality and Norm (sociology)
at times been limited. For example, though most religions disapprove of premarital sexual relations, it has alHuman sexual activity, like many other kinds of activity
ways been widely practiced. Nevertheless, these religious
engaged in by humans, is generally inuenced by social
codes have always had a strong inuence on peoples atrules that are culturally specic and vary widely. These
titudes to sexual issues.
social rules are referred to as sexual morality (what can
and can not be done by societys rules) and sexual norms
(what is and is not expected). There are a number of 3.2.1 Buddhism
groups within societies promoting their views of sexual
morality in a variety of ways, including through sex edu- Main article: Buddhism and sexuality
cation, religious teachings, seeking commitments or virginity pledges, and other means.
The most common formulation of Buddhist ethics for lay

Sexual morality

Most countries have laws which set a minimum marriage

age, with the most common age being 18 years, reduced
to 16 in special circumstances, typically when the female partner is pregnant, but the actual age at rst marriage can be considerably higher. Laws also prescribe the
minimum age at which a person is permitted to engage in

followers are the Five Precepts and the Eightfold Path.

These precepts take the form of voluntary, personal undertakings, not divine mandate or instruction. The third
of the Five Precepts is To refrain from committing sensual misconduct.[64] Sensual misconduct is dened in the
Pali Canon as follows:

3.2

Religious views

Abandoning sensual misconduct, [a man]

abstains from sensual misconduct. He does
not get sexually involved with those who are
protected by their mothers, their fathers, their
brothers, their sisters, their relatives, or their
Dhamma; those with husbands, those who entail punishments, or even those crowned with
owers by another man.[65]

that the people of Sodom would be more likely to accept

the oer in view of the girls virginity than they would
otherwise. The next reference is at Genesis 24:16, where
Eliezer is seeking a wife for his master, Abrahams son.
He meets Rebecca, and the narrative tells us, the damsel
was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man
known her (in biblical terms, to know is a euphemism
for sexual relations). It is noteworthy that Eliezer was not
instructed to nd a virgin bride, nor is anything further
Virginity, specically, is not mentioned in the Canon. On said about the prospective brides virgin status.
the other hand, Buddhist monks and nuns of most traditions are expected to refrain from all sexual activity and
3.2.5 Ancient Greece and Rome
the Buddha is said to have admonished his followers to
[66]
avoid unchastity as if it were a pit of burning cinders.
Virginity was often considered a virtue denoting purity
and physical self-restraint and is an important characteristic in Greek mythology.
3.2.2 Hinduism
In Roman times, the Vestal Virgins were the highly
respected, strictly celibate (although not necessarily
virginal) priestesses of Vesta, and keepers of the sacred
re of Vesta. The Vestals were committed to the priesthood before puberty (when 610 years old) and sworn to
celibacy for a period of 30 years.[70] The chastity of the
Vestals was considered to have a direct bearing on the
health of the Roman state. Allowing the sacred re of
Sex had never been a taboo in ancient India and intactness Vesta to die out, suggesting that the goddess had withdrawn her protection from the city, was a serious oence
of the hymen had nothing to do with virginity.[69]
and was punishable by scourging.[71] Because a Vestals
chastity was thought to be directly correlated to the sa3.2.3 Sikhism
cred burning of the re, if the re were extinguished it
might be assumed that a Vestal had been unchaste. The
In Sikhism, sexual activity occurs only between married penalty for a Vestal Virgin found to have had sexual relaindividuals. Sikhism advises against premarital sex, as it tions while in oce was being buried alive.[70]
has a high potential of being an indulgence of lust (kaam,
or extreme sexual desire). Virginity is an important aspect of spirituality and it has to be preserved before mar- 3.2.6 Christianity
riage, or when one is ready to move into another sacred
state of being with their signicant other.
Main articles: Christianity and sexuality and Catholic
Church and women Virginity
In Hinduism, premarital virginity on the part of the bride
is considered ideal.[67] The prevailing Hindu marriage
ceremony, or the Vedic wedding, centers around the
Kanyadan ritual, which literally means gift of a virgin,
by father of the maiden through which the Hindus believe they gain greatest spiritual merit, and marriages of
the daughters are considered a spiritual obligation.[68]

3.2.4

Judaism

Main article: Judaism and sexuality

Premarital sex is strongly disapproved of in Judaism, but
there is no requirement for a female to be a virgin at her
marriage, and a child born to an unmarried female is not
regarded as illegitimate (mamzer) or subject to any social
or religious disabilities.
Jewish law contains rules related to protecting female virgins and dealing with consensual and non-consensual premarital sex. Jewish laws guidance on sex is that it should
be valued as a wholesome part of life between two married partners.
There are references in the Torah to virginity. In the rst
reference, in Genesis 19:8, Lot oers his virgin daughters
to the people of Sodom for undetermined sexual purposes
in an attempt to protect his guests, with the implication

Paul the Apostle expressed the view that a persons body

belongs to God and is Gods temple (1 Corinthians 6:13,
3:16), and that premarital sex is immoral (1 Corinthians
6:18) on an equal level as adultery. (1 Corinthians 6:9)
Paul also expressed the view in 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 that
sexual abstinence is the preferred state for both men and
women. However, he stated that sexual relations are expected between a married couple.
According to classicist Evelyn Stagg and New Testament
scholar Frank Stagg, the New Testament holds that sex
is reserved for marriage.[72] They maintain that the New
Testament teaches that sex outside of marriage is a sin
of adultery if either of the participants is married, otherwise the sin of fornication if neither of the participants
are married. An imperative given in 1 Corinthians says,
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins people commit are outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin
against their own bodies.[1 Cor 6:18] Those who are sexu-

SEXUAL MORALITY

Virgo inter Virgines (The Blessed Virgin Mary with other holy
virgins), from Bruges, Belgium during the last quarter of the 15th
century.

Detail of The Reading Madonna by Giorgione (c. 1500)

ally immoral or adulterers are listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9

in a list of wrongdoers who ... will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19 and 1 Corinthians 7:2 also
address fornication. The Apostolic Decree of the Council
of Jerusalem also includes a prohibition on fornication.
Aquinas went further, emphasizing that acts other than
copulation destroy virginity, and clarifying that involuntary sexual pleasure does not destroy virginity. From his
Summa Theologica, Pleasure resulting from resolution
of semen may arise in two ways. If this be the result of
the minds purpose, it destroys virginity, whether copulation takes place or not. Augustine, however, mentions
copulation, because such like resolution is the ordinary
and natural result thereof. On another way this may happen beside the purpose of the mind, either during sleep,
or through violence and without the minds consent, although the esh derives pleasure from it, or again through
weakness of nature, as in the case of those who are subject to a ow of semen. On such cases virginity is not
forfeit, because such like pollution is not the result of impurity which excludes virginity.[73][74]

preaching about activities based on sexual prohibitions in

Leviticus, in the context of achieving holiness. The theory suggests it is these, and only these behaviors that are
intended by Pauls prohibition in chapter seven.[77] The
strongest argument against this theory is that the modern
interpretation of the New Testament, outside Corinthians, speaks against premarital sex;[78]
Christian orthodoxy accepts that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin at the time Jesus was conceived, based
on the accounts in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel
of Luke.[79] The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox,
and Oriental Orthodox Churches additionally hold to the
dogma of the perpetual virginity of Mary.[80][81][82] However, most Protestants reject the dogma, citing sources
such as Mark 6:3: Isn't this the carpenter, the son
of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and
Simon? And aren't His sisters here with us?". The
Catholic Church holds[83] that in Semitic usage the terms
brother, sister are applied not only to children of
the same parents, but to nephews, nieces, cousins, halfbrothers, and half-sisters. Catholics, Orthodox Christians
and other groups may refer to Mary as the Virgin Mary or
the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Catholic Encyclopedia says: There are two elements
in virginity: the material element, that is to say, the absence, in the past and in the present, of all complete
and voluntary delectation, whether from lust or from the
lawful use of marriage; and the formal element, that is
the rm resolution to abstain forever from sexual pleasure and that Virginity is irreparably lost by sexual pleasure, voluntarily and completely experienced.[84] However, for the purposes of consecrated virgins it is canonically enough that they have never been married or lived
in open violation of chastity.

Some have theorized that the New Testament was not

against sex before marriage.[75] The discussion turns on
two Greek words moicheia (, adultery) and
porneia (, fornication, see also pornography).
The rst word is restricted to contexts involving sexual
betrayal of a spouse; however, the second word is used as
a generic term for illegitimate sexual activity. Elsewhere
in 1 Corinthians, incest, homosexual intercourse (accord- 3.2.7 Islam
ing to some interpretations)[76] and prostitution are all explicitly forbidden by name (however, the Septuagint uses See also: Zina
porneia to refer to male temple prostitution). Paul is

9
Islam considers extramarital sex to be sinful and
forbidden.[4] Though Islamic law prescribes punishments
for Muslim men and women for the act of zin, in practice it is an extremely dicult oense to prove, requiring
four respectable witnesses to the actual act of penetration. Though in Western cultures premarital sex and loss
of virginity may be considered shameful to the individual,
in some Muslim societies an act of premarital sex, even
if not falling within the legal standards of proof, may result in personal shame and loss of family honor,[4] leading
some societies to practice female circumcision and honor
killings.

See also
Almah
Brahmacharya
The Purity Myth
Sworn virgin

References

Notes

Data indicate that 'a very signicant proportion of teens

ha[ve] had experience with oral sex, even if they haven't
had sexual intercourse, and may think of themselves as
virgins [...] Other research, especially research looking
into virginity loss, reports that 35% of virgins, dened
as people who have never engaged in vaginal intercourse,
have nonetheless engaged in one or more other forms of
heterosexual sexual activity (e.g., oral sex, anal sex, or mutual masturbation).
[7] Hanne Blank (2008). Virgin: The Untouched History.
Bloomsbury Publishing USA. pp. 304 pages. ISBN 159691-011-9. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
[8] Friedman, Mindy (September 20, 2005). Sex on Tuesday: Virginity: A Fluid Issue. The Daily Californian.
Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
[9] Richard D. McAnulty, M. Michele Burnette (2000). Making Healthy Decisions. Allyn & Bacon. p. 229. ISBN
0-205-19519-9.
[10] Joseph Gross, Michael (2003). Like a Virgin. The Advocate, Here Publishing. p. 45. 0001-8996. Retrieved
2011-03-13.
[11] Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short, 'virgo', in A Latin
Dictionary.
[12] 'virgin' in American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language.

[1] Virginity. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved December 21,

2013.

[13] 'Virgin', Online Etymology Dictionary.

[2] Virginity. TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved December 21, 2013.

[14] 'Consecrated virgins and widows, Catechism of the

Catholic Church 92224.

[3] See here and pages 47-49 for views on what constitutes virginity loss and therefore sexual intercourse or
other sexual activity; source discusses how gay and lesbian individuals dene virginity loss, and how the majority of researchers and heterosexuals dene virginity
loss/"technical virginity by whether or not a person
has engaged in penile-vaginal sex. Laura M. Carpenter
(2005). Virginity Lost: An Intimate Portrait of First Sexual
Experiences. NYU Press. pp. 295 pages. ISBN 0-81471652-0. Retrieved October 9, 2011.

[15] Release dates for The 40-Year-Old Virgin at the Internet

Movie Database

[4] Linda Rae Bennett (2005). Women, Islam and modernity:

single women, sexuality and reproductive health in contemporary Indonesia. Psychology Press. pp. 183 pages.
ISBN 0-415-32929-9. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
[5] Carpenter, Laura M. (2001). The Ambiguity of Having
Sex": The Subjective Experience of Virginity Loss in the
United States - Statistical Data Included. United States:
The Journal of Sex Research. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
[6] Bryan Strong, Christine DeVault, Theodore F. Cohen
(2010). The Marriage and Family Experience: Intimate
Relationship in a Changing Society. Cengage Learning. p.
186. ISBN 0-534-62425-1. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
Most people agree that we maintain virginity as long as
we refrain from sexual (vaginal) intercourse. But occasionally we hear people speak of 'technical virginity' [...]

[16] The emotional stress of serial non-marriage plays havoc

with the possibility of partnering for life. Angela Shanahan, 'Sex revolution robbed us of fertility', The Australian
15 September 2007.
[17] Ken Plummer (2002). Modern Homosexualities: Fragments of Lesbian and Gay Experiences. Routledge. pp.
187191. ISBN 1134922426. Retrieved August 24,
2013. The social construction of 'sex' as vaginal intercourse aects how other forms of sexual activity are evaluated as sexually satisfying or arousing; in some cases
whether an activity is seen as a sexual act at all. For example, unless a woman has been penetrated by a mans penis
she is still technically a virgin even if she has had lots of
sexual experience.
[18] Jayson, Sharon (2005-10-19). "'Technical virginity' becomes part of teens equation. USA Today. Retrieved
2009-08-07.
[19] Karen Bouris (1995). The First Time: What Parents and
Teenage Girls Should Know about Losing Your Virginity.
Conari Press. pp. 133134. ISBN 0-943233-93-3. Retrieved 2013-12-15.

10

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[23] Michael R Kauth (2000). True Nature: A Theory of Sexual Attraction. Springer. p. 74. ISBN 0306463903. Retrieved August 30, 2012.

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2005-12-12. Retrieved 2014-04-30.

[24] Perception That Teens Frequently Substitute Oral Sex

For Intercourse A Myth (Press release). 2008-05-20.
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Students denitions of having sex, sexual partner, and
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Human Sexuality 12: 8796. Recently, researchers in
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have investigated university students denitions of having sex. These studies found that students dier in their
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[31] Exodus 22:16-17, Deuteronomy 22:28-29.
Shotgun wedding.

See also

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Child: A Medical Textbook and Photographic Atlas, Second edition, Oxford University Press. 61-65
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(eds). Forensic Medicine: Clinical and Pathological
Aspects, Greenwich Medical Media: London, a)p.453,
b)p.455 c)p.460.
[40] The Marks of Childhood or the Marks of Abuse?, The
New York Times
[41] Marysol Asencio (2002). Sex and sexuality among New
Yorks Puerto Rican youth. Lynne Rienner Publishers.
pp. 5764. ISBN 1-58826-073-9. Retrieved October 9,
2011.
[42] Bozon, Michael. 'At what age do women and men have
their rst sexual intercourse? World comparisons and recent trends. Population and Societies 391 (2003) 14.
[43] Christine A. Coln, Bonnie E. Field (2009). Singled
Out: Why Celibacy Must Be Reinvented in Todays Church.
Brazos Press. p. 30. ISBN 1-58743-237-4. Retrieved
October 9, 2011.
[44] A. Leigh, Jennifer (June 27, 2009). Male Virginity
Myths. Psychology Today. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
[45] Guttmacher Institute (2003) In Their Own Right: Addressing the Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs of Men
Worldwide. pages 1921.
[46] Godeau, Emmanuelle; Nic Gabhainn, Saoirse; Vignes,
Celine; Ross, Jim; Boyce, Will; Todd, Joanna (January
2008). Contraceptive Use by 15-Year-Old Students at
Their Last Sexual Intercourse Results From 24 Countries
(PDF). Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 162
(1). Retrieved 14 January 2012.
[47] UNICEF. (2001). A League Table of Teenage Births in
Rich Nations PDF (888 KB). Retrieved July 7, 2006.

[32] Brockhaus 2004, Kranzgeld

[33] Perlman, Sally E.; Nakajyma, Steven T. and Hertweck, S.
Paige (2004). Clinical protocols in pediatric and adolescent gynecology. Parthenon. p. 131. ISBN 1-84214-1996.

[48] Godeau E, Nic Gabhainn S, Vignes C, Ross J, Boyce W,

Todd J (January 2008). Contraceptive use by 15-yearold students at their last sexual intercourse: results from
24 countries. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 162 (1): 6673.
doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2007.8. PMID 18180415.

11

[49] U.S.Teen Sexual Activity PDF (147 KB) Kaiser Family

Foundation, January 2005. Retrieved 23 Jan 2007
[50] The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
(1997). What the Polling Data Tell Us: A Summary of
Past Surveys on Teen Pregnancy. Retrieved July 13, 2006.

[68] Ramusack, Sharon, Barbara N,L. Sievers. (1999).

Women in Asia: restoring women to history Restoring
women to history. Indiana University Press. pp. 266
pages(see page 30). ISBN 0-253-21267-7.

[51] Allen, Colin. (May 22, 2003). "Peer Pressure and Teen
Sex. Psychology Today.'.' Retrieved July 14, 2006.

[69] Walker, Benjamin (1968). The Hindu world: an encyclopedic survey of Hinduism, Volume 2 The Hindu World:
An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism, Benjamin Walke.
Praeger,. pp. 571572.

[52] Judith Mackay, The Penguin Atlas of Human Sexual Behavior, Myriad Editions, published by Penguin, 2000;
ISBN 978-0-14-051479-7 Human Sexual Behavior Atlas

[70] Lutwyche, Jayne (2012-09-07). Ancient Romes maidens who were the Vestal Virgins?". BBC. Retrieved
2012-11-23.

[53] Durex 2005 Face of global sex report

[71] ""Vesta, Encyclopdia Britannica, 1911 Edition.

1911encyclopedia.org. 2006-10-21. Retrieved 2012-1119.

[54] de Irala, J.; Osorio, A., Carlos, S., Ruiz-Canela, M. &

Lpez-del Burgo, C. (2011). Mean age of rst sex. Do
they know what we mean?". Archives of Sexual Behavior
40: 853855. doi:10.1007/s10508-011-9779-4.

[72] Stagg, Evelyn and Frank. Woman in the World of Jesus.

Philadelphia: Westminster, 1978. ISBN 0-664-24195-6

[55] de Irala, J.; Osorio, A., Ruiz-Canela, M., Carlos, S.

& Lpez-del Burgo, C. (2014). Informing Youth
about the Age of Sexual Initiation Using Means or Percentages. Health Communication 29 (6): 629633.
doi:10.1080/10410236.2013.775931.

[73] Aquinas. Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second

Part, Question 152.

[56] Teen Sex Survey. Channel 4. 2008. Retrieved 200809-11.

[75] John Shelby Spong, The Living Commandments.

[57] Treers PE (November 2003). "[Teenage pregnancy, a

worldwide problem]". Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd (in Dutch;
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[74] Hannah Blank, Virgin: The Untouched History (2007),

ISBN 978-1-59691-010-2.

[76] arsenokoits (masc. noun of fem. 1st declension), literally a man who shares a bed with other men (see LSJ and
BDAG).

[58] Organization (PDF). DoS. Retrieved 2013-12-26.

[77] Syriac- Christian and Rabbinic Notions of Holy Community and Sexuality Naomi Koltun-Fromm April 2006 pdf

[59] The 15 countries are Botswana, Cte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia,

Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria,
Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, and
Zambia.

[78] Modern interpretation of the signicance of wrong his

brother in 1 Thessalonians 4:6, includes sleeping with the
brothers future wife. However, 1 Thessalonians 4:3 only
specically prohibits fornication.

[60] Donald Brown, Human Universals, 1991.

[79] Matthew 1:18 and Luke 1:26-35

[61] Joan R. Kahn, Kathryn A. London, 'Premarital Sex and

the Risk of Divorce', Journal of Marriage and the Family
53 (1991): 845-855.

[80] Merriam-Websters encyclopedia of world religions by

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[62] Waites, Matthew (2005). The Age of Consent: Young People, Sexuality and Citizenship. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN
1-4039-2173-3. OCLC 238887395 58604878.

[81] Catechism of the Catholic Church 499

[63] Stephen Robertson, University of Sydney, Australia.

Children and Youth in History | Age of Consent Laws.
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[64] The Five Precepts: paca-sila. Access to Insight. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
[65] Cunda Kammaraputta: To Cunda the Silversmith.
Anguttara Nikaya. Access to Insight. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
[66] Saddhatissa, Hammalawa (December 1987). Buddhist
Ethics: The Path to Nirvana. Wisdom Pubns; New Ed
edition. p. 88. ISBN 0-86171-053-3.
[67] Lipner, Julius (1998). Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and
Practices. Routledge. pp. 375 pages,see:268. ISBN 0415-05182-7.

[82] Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Coptic Liturgy

of St Basil, Liturgy of St Cyril, Liturgy of St James,
Understanding the Orthodox Liturgy etc.
[83] New American Bible. Vatican.va. Retrieved 2014-0430.
[84] The Catholic Encyclopedia, 'Virginity'". Newadvent.org.
1912-10-01. Retrieved 2014-04-30.

Further reading
Journal articles
Armour, Stacy and Dana L Haynie. 'Adolescent
Sexual Debut and Later Delinquency'. Journal of
Youth and Adolescence 36 (2007): 141-152. [abstract only]

12

Cooksey, Elizabeth C., Frank L. Mott and Stefanie

A. Neubauer. 'Friendships and Early Relationships:
Links to Sexual Initiation Among American Adolescents Born to Young Mothers. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 34 (2002): 118126.
Goodson, P., A. Evans and E. Edmundson. 'Female
adolescents and onset of sexual intercourse: A
theory-based review of research from 1984 to 1994.'
Journal of Adolescent Health 21 (1997): 147-156.
[abstract only]
Rich, Lauren M. and Sun-Bin Kim. 'Employment
and the sexual and reproductive behavior of female
adolescents. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 34 (2002).
Rosenberg, J. 'Age at rst sex and human papillomavirus infection linked through behavioral factors
and partners traits. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 34 (2002).
Monographs
Bently, Thomas. The Monument of Matrones: Conteining Seven Severall Lamps of Virginitie. Thomas
Dawson, 1582.
Carpenter, Laura. Virginity Lost: An Intimate Portrait of First Sexual Experiences. New York University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8147-1653-9

External links
Media related to Virginity at Wikimedia Commons
Quotations related to Virginity at Wikiquote

EXTERNAL LINKS

13

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

7.1

Text

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Leonwatch, Neuromantrice, Sotaru, Mathel, PseudoSudo, Paradoxsociety, Slakr, Kirbytime, Noah Salzman, AwesomeMachine, Imagine
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Casliber, Sabbre, Thijs!bot, Epbr123, Biruitorul, Daniel Newman, Andyjsmith, Mojo Hand, Oliver202, Watersoftheoasis, West Brom
4ever, John254, Snakehunter, Hyoung888888, Jonny-mt, GideonF, FreeKresge, Vanamar, Natalie Erin, Oreo Priest, I already forgot, Mentisto, CerealBabyMilk, Jcressey, The prophet wizard of the crayon cake, AntiVandalBot, Majorly, Gioto, Luna Santin, Seaphoto, Blue Tie,
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JackSparrow Ninja, JAnDbot, SuperLuigi31, Gcm, Barek, Geneisner, MER-C, Madmarigold, Ipoellet, Anthony Krupp, Andonic, Nemissimo, Alastair Haines, Cynwolfe, .anacondabot, Acroterion, Repku, Magioladitis, Freedomlinux, Bongwarrior, VoABot II, Dentren,
Yandman, Dulciana, Catgut, Indon, ClovisPt, Allstarecho, Theallfatherodin, DerHexer, JaGa, Edward321, Mabuhelwa, WLU, The Sanctuary Sparrow, Hintswen, Cocytus, Oroso, FisherQueen, Maumaux, PsyMar, Jackson Peebles, Yobol, MartinBot, DoSiDo, Byrnest, Ariel.,
Motley Crue Rocks, Anaxial, Dorvaq, Keith D, Dwarren586, Senthryl, EdBever, Tgeairn, Jeroldc, J.delanoy, Pharaoh of the Wizards,
Trusilver, Maurice Carbonaro, T dawwg, Piccolina, RicoSuave, Icseaturtles, Gyurika, DarkFalls, Hawkmaster9, Samtheboy, Velps, Cadwaladr, Zerokitsune, SJP, Cobi, Arkhangelskii, Sunderland06, Cmichael, KylieTastic, Cometstyles, Jstnhorn, Uhai, Zara1709, Pdcook, Ja
62, WLRoss, Reclamer, Halmstad, Arael2, CardinalDan, Idioma-bot, Mastrchf91, Echosmoke, Nevergrowold, Lights, PeaceNT, Deor,
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Yaksar, Jennifer2007, JackiePat, SquallLeonhart ITA, CloutierFan02, Red, Wsanders, SieBot, Marburns, Fridge69, Coee, Babenesch,
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BenoniBot~enwiki, Ravanacker, OKBot, Guitar Godd23, Branstu, Wickedjacob, Mikef777, Mygerardromance, Dust Filter, Broxibear88,
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14

7 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

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7.2

Images

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