The number of people one “sleeps with” can be a thought on any person’s mind when meeting someone they might be attracted to.
When students were asked how many sexual partners they claim to have, a variety of answers were received along with a spectrum of opinions about the number.
“I’ve had seven partners,” said Angela Ybarra, a senior fashion design major. She had regrets for some experiences, but said she feels, “It is what it is and I can live with it.”
To positively acknowledge “your number” as part of your life, rather than something to be judged by, was a view that was shared by numerous Cal State Long Beach students.
Junior business major, Kirk Frazer, confidently stated, “I’ve had 15-20 partners and I feel great about it.”
Other young peoples’ opinions provided a sneak peek into their sex life.
Megan Slater, a junior year film major shared, “[I] had a kind of promiscuous phase when I got to college and it was fun, but now I’m steadily seeing one guy; my old ways aren’t really for me anymore.”
The number of people someone sleeps with can be a glimpse into their differing sexual experiences. Indifference was a common attitude. Students feel that the number of partners someone else may have is not a thought that has crossed their minds.
Junior psychology major, Abtin Hashemian, said, “I don’t see it as a good thing or a bad thing, necessarily. I find it important to love, and from that you will be very much loved back.”
Some students were not as comfortable sharing their number of sexual partners; afraid of taboos, maybe? A student who asked not to be named said, “I’ve had three partners and I don’t regret the number, but it was just to make the other person happy, or get them off of my back.”
Many young people are not afraid to share their respective numbers of sexual partners. On the other hand, some are concerned with the way people would perceive them if their number was known.
One student said, “I don’t feel comfortable sharing that information because I feel it is too personal to share with someone I’m not intimate with.”
In the CSULB community, there is bound to be a vast number of different opinions about college sex life. With the information I collected from fellow students, I was able to observe that most are not judgmental and don’t hold high regard to the number of people their partners have slept with.
The students who chose to remain anonymous were concerned about family judgment or business opportunities. Sharing one’s sex life is a tender subject for some people, where the subject matter is completely personal.
It is a good idea for people to know the number of partners their own partner has had. To know where they have been on their sexual journey is sharing a part of their personal experience, and the more you know the better.
Live and love friends, until next week.
Kylee Delgadillo is junior journalism major and a columnist for the Daily 49er.