From rare artwork to used panties, people auction almost anything—including used socks, expired cereal, and even jars of ‘celebrity breath.’ But in recent years, another controversial item has appeared in auction spaces: virginity. Yes, some individuals have tried to sell their ‘first time’ for an eye-opening amount, and you can sell yours too, but this topic sparks debates about legality, ethics, and the unclear line between choice and exploitation.
Take Natalie Dylan, a U.S. student who made headlines in 2008 by auctioning her virginity for $3.8 million at the age of 22. Natalie claimed to be inspired by a Peruvian woman, Graciela Yataco, who also tried to sell her virginity to pay for her mother’s medical bills.
Or take a recent example of a 22-year-old woman named Laura from Manchester selling hers for £1.6 million to a Hollywood celebrity.
Or Catarina Migliorini, a Brazilian woman who sold hers for $780,000, as a part of a documentary Virgins Wanted by Jason Sisly an Australian director. These stories raise the question: Can you legally—or ethically—sell your virginity? The answer is complicated, tangled in-laws, health risks, and society’s obsession with ‘purity.’ Let’s untangle the facts.”
Can you also sell your virginity?
Well, if you are thinking that you can also sell yours for a handsome amount? Well yes, you can, but only a few people will think of it as selling virginity can also impact your dignity or respect in society, and it’s a very controversial thing to do, which takes immense willpower.
There are some platforms that people use to sell their “first-time,” but you should know some things before selling yours:
- It is illegal to exchange money for sex, often called prostitution in most of the countries. Selling virginity also comes under this category.
- Any advertisement or efforts by you to sell your virginity will be treated unlawful by the law, as it is not legal in most countries.
- You may attract some blackmailers or scammers by advertising your innocence.
- You may have to prove your purity through different ways, as there is no reliable medical test to determine virginity.
- Most of the online virginity-selling platforms are scams.
Selling your virginity can bring you a big fortune that can secure your future, but it brings equal consequences or problems, and the major one is social backlash, and it has happened with most of the sellers.
Famous cases of people who tried to sell their virginity
Here are some famous cases of people who tried to sell their virginity.
Case 1
Recently, in 2023, Laura, a 22-year-old student from Manchester, decided to sell her virginity through an online auction. Her motive behind her decision was to secure her future with the generational wealth that she was going to receive from her highest bidder in the auction.
The news is now trending on various social media platforms, and people are debating over whether it is ethically right or wrong.
According to the Mirror, Laura said that she has no regrets about her decision, despite being from a religious background.
Laura clarified her bold decision by saying, “I don’t regret it. Many girls lose their virginity without getting anything in return. At least I secured my future.”
According to the Mail Online, Laura applied to the escort site Cinderella Escorts, and later she was invited to events to find and meet potential buyers.
Later the bidding started, which was very competitive as very famous and rich personalities participated in the auction. A famous Hollywood celebrity from Los Angeles who visited Jeffrey Epstein‘s pedophile island won the auction by placing 1.6 million euros, defeating both a London-based politician and a businessman from Dubai.
After the auction, the date for the event was decided, and a member of the escort site’s team took Laura to a five-star hotel in London to meet the buyer.
The buyer also brought a doctor with him to check her virginity, Laura described her interaction with the buyer as harmless.
Laura also stated, I’m glad that I made this decision, as I think very rationally as a person. The likelihood that I would have lost my virginity to someone who would never have married me afterwards anyway was very high. It wasn’t worth it to me.’
Laura mentioned that her parents were surprised by her decision, but later they supported her. After facing criticism, Laura insisted, ‘I don’t think anyone should interfere and tell me who I should have sex with; after all, it’s my body, and I’m a free and independent woman. What’s more, I’m of legal age and therefore fully aware of my decision.’
Almost a year after losing her virginity, Laura stated that she has no regrets for her decisions, and now she hopes to become a sugar baby and wants interested men to pay her £30,000 a month for the enjoyment of her company.
Case 2
According to an article from the Guardian, in March 2005, Graciela Yataco, a Peruvian woman, decided to sell her virginity to pay her mother’s medical bill. At that time, she was just 18, but still, she decided to take such a bold move to help her mother.
Graciela said, ‘It hurts me to see Mama ill and crying every night,’ to the local Trome newspaper. To sell her virginity, she advertised it in the newspaper for sale for 20,000 soles, or about £5,000.
After the advertisement, the people were shocked, and Graciela faced criticism for that decision, and the reason for her taking this decision was completely ignored.
Stones were thrown to her house, and she also received threats about burning down her family house. At that time, in Peru, Graciela’s virginity had become a question of national pride.
Apart from the local public, the media also criticized her decision. Pamela Vertiz a television presenter, said that the nation’s reputation is at stake due to her decision.
Vertiz added, ‘Have you thought about how people would look at Peru if other young girls followed your example?’. ‘This is not the way to do it, Graciela. You have good hands and legs to work with. This is no way to earn money.’
Mercedes Cabanillas an MP in Peru, also criticized Graciela and said, ‘This shows that there is a crisis of values in this country. She should get a job and not sell her body!’
Later, Graciela decided not to sell her dignity and was also denied $1.5 million (£780,000) from a Canadian man who wanted to have sex with her. (Source: BBC news)
After canceling the idea of selling her virginity, Graciela said, ‘I realized if I carried on, the animals round here would end up giving my mother a heart attack.’
More cases are there, like:
- An 18-year-old Hungarian woman using the online name “Miss Spring” was noted to sell her virginity to a British man for £200,000 to clear her family debts. However, according to sources, on 2 September, the Hungarian woman pulled out of the auction after four men beaten her and threatened to rape her.
- Rebecca Bernardo, an 18-year-old girl from Sapeacu, Brazil, announced through a YouTube video that she would sell her virginity to pay the medical bills of her sick mother, but the results of the auction were unknown.
- A 21-year-old man, Alexander Stepanov also tried to sell his virginity, but the auction did not go as successful as compared to other virginity auctions. In the end, his virginity was sold to a Brazilian woman named Nene B for only $3000.
Bottom Line
These stories conclude that you can sell your virginity but have to be fully aware of your decisions. Regret, fear, or shame are some common feelings one can face while making such decisions.
It’s not as easy as you think to sell your virginity; yes, you can sell yours for big money, but this step will take you far away from society, as it’s not very common. The virginity-selling concept is often seen as the exchange of money for sex commonly known as prostitution.
Social backlash is one of the major things one has to face while taking such steps.
So, if you are planning to sell your virginity, you may also face the backlash.
