Sex Corner

"You should get with her tonight, dude, she's a good lay," says your friend as you're walking to class. You know that you're going out tonight and that the girl your buddy was just talking about is going to be there. It would be nice to get with a hot chick tonight, but you start thinking to yourself "I wonder if she's a slut?" Whether it makes any difference to you is your prerogative, however how exactly do people get these labels, and how is that very fine line drawn?

So, your friend said she's a good lay. Do you want to have sex with a girl that your buddy already banged? If so, maybe you're wondering if she just sleeps around with all the guys she is mildly acquainted with. At this point, some of you are thinking, "Who cares?!"

Others want to know where that line is drawn between being a girl with a few partners and being a ho. The opinion that most people have is that if you are sleeping around with many different partners and you can't seem to nail down a solid relationship, you get the title of being a ho or the ever popular, man whore.

These are the people that frequent bars and parties and either try and be "pimplicious," as a few of my friends put it, or they are the smooth talkers who know what to say to make that someone go home with them. Is there anything wrong with this picture? Well, it all depends on your perception of a good time, your values and your level of intoxication.

It seems to be much more accepted for a guy to have multiple sexual partners than it is for the ladies. If a female goes around and gives her girlfriends high-fives because she scored last night with her twentieth partner, most people would say, "She is such a whore! I wonder how many diseases she has now!" However, if a guy goes to his buddies and spreads the word about his latest conquest, I'll bet money that they are not thinking how many diseases his population paste put out, but how much of a stud he is for nailing another chick.

Why is there such a double standard? I do know that some guys get the label of being a man whore. This opinion usually comes from the people that he has already slept with and are lying by the wayside, or by people that don't like him. For girls, they are labeled sluts more easily because other females are spreading rumors about how many guys she comes home with. Or, she is labeled by other males who see how promiscuous she is, and are jealous because they haven't been picked yet. Of course, this is a broad generalization, but true in so many cases.

Who is to say what that magic number of partners is that draws the line between being a ho and having some fun. It is unlikely the stereotype that men are much cooler if they sleep with tons of women, will ever dissipate. This whole idea dates back to the story of "Casanova" and "Don Giovanni" the famous Opera. I will leave you with this last note; if you're going to sleep around ,make sure you do it with class. There is nothing wrong with a little bit of fun as long as your reputation doesn't go where you might be getting it later tonight.

Michelle Barbera is the sex columnist for The Voice. She is currently pursuing her masters in Curriculum and Instruction.