So, to celebrate the launch of my book 'Losing It: How we popped our cherry over the last 80 years’ in the USA, if you go onto Goodreads right here, you can win a copy of it today.

But to up the ante further, I will personally send a signed copy of my book to the person who can send me the best comedy virginity loss story. I’m thinking parents/friends/family walking in at inappropriate moments, people falling off beds that have been covering in plastic sheeting and olive oil (possibly an urban myth but I did hear it once in reference to a sexual encounter. They had to wait for a parent to come home after breaking a limb), that kind of thing.

You’d think after 8 years of story collection I would have heard something vaguely similar but not a whisper. There are obvious reasons for this. Virginity loss is rarely funny. But if I know one thing it is this: a good story is in the telling. So what might have been anything but hilarious at the time could be deemed amusing years later whilst entertaining your friends around the pub table. I should mention that you could easily replace the word ‘funny’ with 'embarrassing’.

The Virginity Project can be a serious place at times. As it should be. Your first sexual experiences are not to be taken lightly. But laughing is good for your health too so if you have a story to tell, mail me here: katemonroe@yahoo.com. If its a really good story, I'll ring you up and read you my own (not particularly slapstick) tale down the phone.