A new study conducted by Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute’s HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies claims “Those who lose their virginity at a later age — around 21 to 23 years of age — tend to be more likely to experience sexual dysfunction problems late.”

Even though this new study makes it seem like losing your virginity too late will cause your body to freak out, in actuality, what the numbers really show is that waiting to have sex is sometimes an indicator of preexisting bodily issues.

And to that conclusion, I say, well, of course.

“[M]en with sexual problems may avoid sexual interactions and consequently start later” the study finds, going on to explain that those who get married later without much sexual experience tend to have a difficult time with arousal and reaching orgasm.

“Fear of intimacy, body image problems, alcohol and drug abuse” and shame connected to sexual acts are also issues that come attached to delayed sexual activity, yet many experts examining this particular study believe psychological trauma is the cause of sexual dysfunction, and delayed sexual activity is merely a symptom of such dysfunction.

So basically, having sex later in life may be linked to sexual issues, but those issues were most likely with you way before you jumped into the sack.

Is this common sense to anyone else? The only thing this new study (appearing in the January 2008 issue of the American Journal of Public Health) seems to prove that Abstinence Only programs are probably one-way ticket to confusion later on in life. As ABC News reports, when normal sexual experimentation is “inhibited or not guided, there can be poor sexual health outcomes.”

Risqué headlines aside, it looks like all we got is another study that wants us to embrace safe sex.

So go out and make science proud!