Miranda Kerr and Ciara aren’t alone — here’s why more women are skipping sex, pre-marriage.

Virginity is such a loaded word. It either conjures up magical memories or, for many of us, the absolute horrors. According to Durex, the average age at which women have intercourse in Australia is 18 years, while it’s 17.4 years for the guys. But imagine if you could take your virginity back and give it to the man you were going to marry: Would you?

We’re not talking surgical reconstruction of the hymen here. Becoming a born-again virgin isn’t a physical concept, it’s more a conscious decision to abstain from sex until you’re married. Essentially, it’s a free virginity pass, even if you’ve already done the deed aplenty, or in Kerr’s case, had a child.

Celebrity-tried and -tested

Kerr, 33, dropped her infamous guard in an interview with the Times in the UK and gave us a glimpse into the innermost workings of her apparent non-sex life with Evan Spiegel, 26, when she admitted the couple don’t currently use any contraception because they’re not having sex until they’re married. “[Spiegel] is very traditional,” said Kerr. “We can’t … I mean we’re just … waiting.”

Meanwhile, back in 2008, Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon also declared their abstinence. “We both have similar beliefs, and I just thought that it would be so much more special if we waited until after we were married,” said Carey at the time. She divorced Cannon in 2014. Plus-size supermodel Ashley Graham says she’d “sowed her oats,” so she decided to wait until after she married her husband, Justin Ervin. When songstress Ciara, who has a son with rapper Future, got together with her now-husband, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, he proudly told the world they had decided not to have sex before their marriage.

‘I’m happier not hooking up’

However, it is not just celebrities who are abstaining from physical intimacy. Jo, a 28-year-old single retail manager from Melbourne, relates to their desire to wait. She has put the brakes on all sexual relationships until she’s found a man who’s willing to put a ring on it. In a world of Tinder and casual hookups, she believes chastity is an underrated virtue. “I lost my virginity at 16 to a douchebag, in an indoor sports center. It was a cold and unemotional experience. He dumped me the next day. I’ve had one relationship and more than a handful of hookups since. I have always struggled with intimacy. So, after one more disastrous sexual relationship that led nowhere, I decided that I was going to take my time and wait for some form of commitment before I jumped into bed. It’s essentially a sex detox to clean the negativity out of my system.”

While she admits her friends think it is an old-fashioned notion, Jo is adamant that waiting is the best option. “I’m happier now,” she says, despite the fact her newfound liberation from sex scares away prospective partners: “At least I know early on whether they’re interested in me or my body.”

‘Magical’ sex

Melbourne sex therapist Chantelle Otten is seeing a host of clients who’ve taken the same route. “People are taking the decision to reinvent their sexual selves. The reasons are entirely personal — whether it’s religious grounds, negative sexual patterns, sexual burnout from dating, wellness, and spiritual journeys, or trying to be mindful about their choices. They want emotional intimacy before going down a sexual path.”

Jo believes she’ll hold out until her wedding night finally comes. “It’s going to be magical because I feel as if my body and mind have been purified,” she said, optimistically. That is not to shame anyone who is enjoying crazy casual hookups, or whatever else they may be into. They are just as awesome, if they’re enjoying themselves. That’s the beauty of today — we get to choose.