The First Time: About "Losing Your Virginity" (Paperback)

by Karen Bouris (Author) "In this culture, few things are more difficult to talk about than sex..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Erotic Wars, Lillian Rubin

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Firsthand accounts, by women, of the "loss of virginity"--including both positive and negative perceptions--provide valuable tools for parents to open doors of communication to promote healthy discussion of sexuality between them and teenage daughters. Reprint. IP.

Product Details

• Paperback: 198 pages
• Publisher: Conari Press (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0943233933
• ISBN-13: 978-0943233932
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,487,943 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Quick Read and Telling Content, March 5, 2001

By	Courtney L. Lewis "Sassy Librarian" (Kingston, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I greatly enjoyed Bouris' book, The First Time. While not an in-depth, sociological analysis of the concept of virginity, _The First Time_ instead focuses on the real experience of women as told in their own words. Bouris does occasionally draw themes between stories and often brings in various feminist and gay perspectives of sexuality which enlighten the discourse. I think this book would be extremely helpful to parents or young women as we can always learn from other people's mistakes (particularly from the women who mention a lack of facts and values from their parents or guardians). This book would be an excellent read when combined with _The Sex Lives of Teenagers_ by Lynn Ponton.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome and then some, January 14, 1999

By A Customer

I am a mom of 2 children ages 14 and 18. My 18 year old and I sat down and went over birth control ect...when she left for college and I bought her this book. I knew she had not yet lost her viginity nor did I believe that she was ready to do so. But with the help of this book, I learned how to deal with yet another steps in life that not only she had to go through...I did as a parent also.

9 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Awful!, July 7, 2002

By A Customer

I hated this book. Its directed at teenagers and it made losing your virginity out to be all fun and games with no emotional or physical hangups.Losing your virginity should be considered a serious and life altering thing.Most people including teens don't see it that way which is why I believe that most teen relationships end badly.Books like this that enforce that attitude just do more damage in my opinion.I believe that later in life, most people will regret losing their virginity somewhat if it was not lost to the right person.And how many teenagers have really found the right person?? Not many.Sex is a serious thing,it is not all pleasure and orgasms.It can carry consequences that can haunt you for the rest of your life such as unwanted pregnancy, abortion, stds.And the end of a first sexual relationship can be crushing.I know from experience.When I have a daughter and she reaches puberty, she will not be reading this book.I will find a much better book for her to read.
Virginity is a precious gift and you can only give it away once.When its gone, its gone forever. Just something for all the teens out there to consider from a person who is not much older than them.