No one can quite pin down the official demographic.
Most active users seem to be men, although women do occasionally share and comment on posts.
You have to be an “older virgin” to join, which mods define as 30 and up – though there are plenty of 20-somethings on the page. The demographics of the page are unclear. “For the one DM that turned out to be real, there was like ten that were fake or a scam.” They would say something like ‘I need $100 for gas money,” says Josh.
They would ask for money but not directly in exchange for sex. While the page was originally designed for people to lose their virginity to other virgins, an increasing number of more experienced women are approaching men on the page. There are clear rules about what users can share: “No ‘hook-up’ posts” and no advertising “paid ‘services’ of any kind here.” There’s also a sidebar of reading material for newcomers, including articles about what it's like to lose your virginity, along with tips on avoiding the forum’s biggest fear: catfishing. Discussing the topic of sex and our personal experiences should be done with respect to others and ourselves,” says u/ribbitribbitrabbit. “r/VirginityExchange is not meant to be a lewd place, sexuality is normal and healthy. But the subreddit doesn’t want to be thought of as a hookup page.
There are hundreds of subreddits full of amateur porn pages dedicated to hookups and nude sharing. Like Twitter, users can post unfiltered images. “I wanted to help remove the shame and stigma that is attached to being a virgin.”Īs in most parts of the internet, Reddit is home to quite a bit of sex. “It was founded out of pure compassion for those who feel unloved and unwanted because of their lack of sexual and romantic experience,” writes one of the page’s two moderators, u/ribbitribbitrabbit. The page was set up as a sanctuary in 2015. I also feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”įor the 39,000 members of r/VirginityExchange, this community is special. “I was a little skeptical up until I saw her in person. “I was extremely nervous pretty much the whole time,” he adds of the actual sex. Seemed to get along really well and we just happened to both be off of work so I drove to her.” “We moved to Snapchat pretty quick to basically get to know each other. “She said she thought I was cute and that she lived fairly close,” he tells VICE. Josh waited for a week, until he received a message from a girl who also lived in Texas. “You’re very cute and I’m sure with some patience you’ll meet the right girl – on HINGE.
“You’re a very attractive guy! Best of luck in your search!” wrote one user. Underneath Josh’s post were supportive messages. Most users on the thread circulate their dating pitch several times it is hard attracting attention among the daily crowd of posters. Others say they have a disability that has stopped them meeting people in the past. Some posters warn that they are introverted and want to take things slow. “Dude, that type of psychological damage is hard to overcome,” wrote another in response. I’d love to chat with someone down to earth,” shares one member, 26, from London. “I was picked on by girls when I was little, which shaped my awkwardness around women.