Just reading through some of the posts there and alot of you are saying not before your 18 etc. but in this day and age that really is easier said than done when sex is in your life everyday from tv to radio and even in school now.
I agree with you OS when you say the 'ideal' time to have sex is when you are married but it takes a hell of alot of restraint for you to wait that long. Personally i don't believe that i would be able to do it.
I'm only 16 and not a virgin.. my first time was with my bestest friend in the world and i do not regret anything about that cos i believed that at that time i was ready. It did kinda screw with our friendship because there were complications but at the end of the day i would not turn the clock back. But sex when you love somebody e.g. sex with my boyfriend is so much more loving and feels alot more natural. But realisitically not many teenagers now will be able to wait until marriage because sex is so publicised so the main aim now should be to keep sex safe.
So long as you are protecting yourself and not sleeping with different people every week - like my mum always told me 'put a price on yourself' - don't just sleep around and don't let anyone take advantage of you
But hell OS we've gotta cure you of your shyness before you can even start thinking of sex! Lol!
xLaurax