There isn’t a medical definition of a “virgin” or virginity. The term is used differently by different people and may relate to cultural or religious beliefs or the meaning of “having sex” or life experiences. Sometimes the term is used for people who have not had sex or sexual contact. So “losing your virginity” may have different meanings; some may say that occurs the first time you have sexual contact (i.e. touching or rubbing genitals either alone or with a partner); others may define losing their virginity as, oral or anal sex or penis-in-vagina sex.
Anytime a woman has unprotected sexual contact, which includes touching, rubbing, or penetration with a penis, she may get pregnant. Protection in the form of condoms is super important in preventing pregnancy, even when there is no penetration. If you haven’t had any sexual contact, it’s possible (although rare) to have a false positive pregnancy test. The best thing to do is schedule an appointment with your health care provider (HCP). Your HCP can order blood work to help confirm pregnancy or look into other causes.
It’s super important that you tell a trusted adult right away. You can talk to your health care provider (HCP), a guidance counselor, school nurse, or even a trusted adult family member. After you tell an adult in your life, they can help you make a plan for telling your parents. Pregnancy is a big deal and comes with a lot of difficult decisions and can impact your health, so it’s very important that you tell an adult you trust.
Our health guides are developed through a systematic, rigorous process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness. Written and reviewed by experienced healthcare clinicians from Boston Children's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and consistently ranked as a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, these guides combine clinical expertise, specialized knowledge, and evidence-based medicine. We also incorporate research and best practices from authoritative sources such as the CDC, NIH, PubMed, top medical journals, and UpToDate.com. Clinical specialists and subject matter experts review and edit each guide, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, factual, scientifically accurate health information for young people.