Purpose: Swiss data indicate that the average age at first intercourse is just below age 17. However, by age 26 there is a minority of young adults who is still virgin in Switzerland. Our aim was to describe the characteristics of this specific group of young adults.
Methods: Data were drawn from the Swiss national survey on youth sexual behavior carried out in 2017. Out of 5175 participants (49% females; mean age 26) who answered all questions, 275 (5.3%) were virgins and were compared to the rest of the sample. We defined virgins as those never having had any sexual contact. We compared both groups on socioeconomic, familial, academic, social and health-related variables. We also compared them regarding substance use, online sexual behaviors, and life satisfaction. We first ran a bivariate analysis and all significant variables (p<.05) were included in a logistic regression using non-virgins as the reference category. Finally, we asked them the main reasons for remaining virgin.