I feel you. I was a virgin until 23 because I didn't want to have meaningless sex. I ended up sleeping with my best male friend, who I had known for five years and who I knew cared about me to the point that he wouldn't ghost me after sex. I trusted that he would be there for me. And he was. I'm so glad I waited. I would rather have less sex (but have the sex I do have be meaningful) than have lots of empty sex.

I wonder though Yael, you mention "all your friends" who got married in their 20s were in bad relationships, had been cheated on etc. They say that if you are friends with a lot of divorcees you are also likely to get divorced. Could it be that if you're friends with a lot of people who get cheated on, it's more likely to happen to you?

Cause my friend group experience has been VERY different. All my school friends (who happen to be Asian) are either married or in stable long term relationships with men who genuinely love them. They seem to have completely avoided "hookup culture". Perhaps it's a cultural thing? Asian people tend to be very choosy about their partners, and it's not expected to have sex early in a relationship. None of my friends are the "wait for marriage" type but they definitely are the "develop a stable long-term relationship and have shared expectations around a long term future before sleeping together" type. And the men tend to celebrate each other finding real love. For example my best school friend's wedding had the best man give a speech about how he saw the groom start to fall for my friend and how his friends were all cheering him on for finding someone that makes him happy. Maybe it's certain circles and certain cultures where the attitude of finding love and a long term partnership is actually celebrated by men and their friends, instead of denigrated as a lot of white American masculinity seems to do?