In the past, the thought of a male virgin had been one of those ideas that nobody really took seriously. It has always been the girls who were supposed to wait--in other words, remain a virgin--while guys were supposed to "fool around" as much as possible and then share the details with their male friends. 

Today, pressure is still very intense for a guy to "score." 

"That's because if a guy says he's a virgin, he's considered weak by his friends," said R.J., a senior at Barringer High School in Newark. "A guy is expected to have gotten off. Whether he did or didn't, only he really knows." 

Most teenage males who are virgins probably deny it just so their friends will think they're cool. But there are many guys who don't cave in to peer pressure and who say they are proud to say they are virgins. 

Miguel, a junior, said, "If I were put on the spot by my friends, I would admit to being a virgin no matter what they think." 

"I don't like to tell lies," stated Angel, a sophomore . "I would admit to being virgin--not for my friends, just for my own piece of mind." 

"I think that us guys should stay virgins until we're ready to get deep and serious into a relationship," said A.S., an 18-year-old senior. 

For many guy virgins, the fear of catching a sexually transmitted disease or getting a girl pregnant, figures into their decision. 

"I think it's good remaining a virgin during the teenage years," said E.C., a junior. "This way, we can be sure that we won't catch any STDs or HIV." 

Not every girl is happy dating a chaste male, but when a girl goes out with a guy virgin and she is a virgin also, both she and the guy will probably be comfortable with each other and their relationship might last for a long time. 

Said Senior Alexa Davis, "I think it's the right thing for a guy to stay a virgin throughout his teens, because it shows that he's clean, pure and honest to himself and his girlfriend. It also shows that he's waiting for the right girl and for the right time." 

Choosing to keep his virginity is just as personal a decision for a man as choosing to lose it. Some guy virgins aren't neccesarily holding on until marriage, but they do want their first time to be special. They are waiting for Ms. Right.