This is the average age people lose their virginity

Whether you like to admit it or not, many of your teenage years are spent needlessly worrying about sex.

What is it? What's it like? Who is having it? And more often than not, what's a 'normal' age to have it?

What's the average age?

The average age that people lose their virginity is apparently 17.4 years old, according to figures from a study.

In a survey of 1,000 people in Britain and the United States, online health service DrEd also revealed that the average age people become sexually aware is 15 years and two months.

That involves the “sudden realisation of sexual feelings and urges,” researchers said.

Gay people taking part recalled a sexual awakening at a younger age than any other group, at just under 14 years old.

That said, for gay people, the average age of virginity loss is slightly higher at 17.9 years old.

What about different generations?

It was found that those who fall into the category of generation X lost their virginity (on average) at 18.1, baby boomers at 17.6 and millennials at 17.4 years-old.

For men in general, the average age they became sexually awakened was almost a year earlier than women (at 14.8 years old as opposed to women’s 15.5). And women lost their virginity at 17.4 and men, at 17.6.

Some people said a Friends character triggered their sexual awakening. Picutre: NBC/Friends

The study also looked into what triggered respondents' sexual awakenings.

Most people (62 per cent) said an actor or actress did it for them while 30 per cent said it was their sibling’s friend. And according to the figures, six per cent said it was a relative. Other examples included; the cleaning lady, Rachel from Friends, Sean Connery as James Bond and Barbies.

Writing in the report, the researchers concluded:

We may not have clearly defined sexual journeys – past, present, or future – but continuing to collect information on the topic is a good place to start (or continue) your evolution.

More: A map of the world according to the average age people lose their virginity