TRADE SCHOOL: World’s Oldest Virgin

Clare Meadmore

 

105 years old and Clara Meadmore has never had her cheryy popped, making her the oldest virgin in Britain, and quite possibly in the world. Our first thoughts: This poor woman doesn’t know what she’s been missing in the past century.

This brings us to this week’s Trade School topic of the week: Celibacy as a form of living healthier lives? Meadmore makes us wonder if perhaps we’ve been going about sex in all the wrong ways. Can it be that what we really need to do is abstain from sex to live longer lives?  

 

On BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, Meadmore said her celibate lifestyle has allowed her to focus on herself and do things she likes, for example, her career, gardening, cooking, reading and making her own clothing. She also said she didn’t want to deal with the “hassle of relationships.”

 

She’s not exactly doing a great job of convincing us…

 

Many of you do such things — and still manage to squeeze in the lovin’ sessions. And I’m sure for many Globosexuals, sex is a hobby in and of itself. Also as Globosexuals reported earlier, many people around the world have weekly sex. We’re sure Meadmore could have fit sex into her busy schedule of gardening and making clothes. Why not have sex in the garden? Or make “easy access clothing” so then her significant other could rip them off right before they got it on?   

 

In her defense, she did live during an era where, as she points out, women were only supposed to have sex within a marriage. Key word: supposed. There have always been women who did not wait until marriage. After all, prostitution is one of the oldest professions. Of course, that may not be exactly the image you’re aiming for…

 

Nonetheless, talk show host Jenni Murray and celibate mother-of-one Sonia Poulton, noted that being celibate has its benefits, such as being able to focus on personal goals, achieving clarity and in Poulton’s case, focusing on raising her child. Also, Poulton said celibacy allowed her to gain self-esteem that was lacking in her life before she became celibate. Both women further pointed out the famous and succesful celibates, such as Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Isaac Newton and Leonardo Da Vinci.   

 

However, having a daily and healthy sex life has many benefits as well. UK Times Newspaper and Marie Claire sex columnist and author, Suzi Godson noted the “huge health benefits” of having a daily sex life, such as:

 

• Men who had daily ejaculations decreased their risk of prostate cancer
  
• For women, having orgasms increases their pelvic floor.
  
• Having daily sex can boost you’re immune system.
  
• Sex releases endorphins (feel good hormones) in the brain which make us feel happy.

 

The point the women on the show agreed on is that many single women (and we also know some men) believe that being in a relationship will somehow fix the things that are currently wrong in their lives and make them happy if they’re unhappy. They’re waiting for their anticipated partner to “fix them.” This means the individuals are not focusing on themselves. Therefore, choosing a celibate lifestyle empowers by allowing to focus on oneself. I think we can all agree that this is a good thing.   

 

At least Poulton admitted her celibate state is not permanent. But we think it’s safe to say Meadmore’s train has passed. Perhaps she is simply asexual, when someone “does not have sexual feelings and desires towards either the opposite or same sex,” and in practice “refrains from sexual activity”. Whatever the reason, Meadmore should be applauded for taking her life into her own hands and deciding not to marry when that was the accepted social norm (and for the most part continues to be). She’s a regular Queen Elizabeth I.

 

- JD