29 Things Every 20-Something Should Know About Sex

When it comes to sex, our 20s can be a formative decade. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average age Americans lose their virginity (at least for penetrative sex) is about 17— which means there are a lot of twentysomethings out there finding their sexual grooves. In fact, research suggests that most women don't reach their hormonal "sexual peak" until their 30s, after estrogen levels skyrocket during women's mid-to-late 20s.

Beyond hormones, our 20s can be a time when we learn about ourselves, our desires, what we like, and what we don't. Many of us are having sex for the first time in our 20s or trying out casual sex — and many of us are having good sex for the first time. Each year, the learning curve can be huge.

To kick off our 29 Days Of Great Sex, we've gathered 29 pieces of sex advice from people in their 20s or just beyond them. Whether it's the life-altering benefits of foreplay or the importance of communication, these are the valuable lessons they learned (or are still learning) about sex during this impressionable decade.

Of course, while these tips worked for them, they won't all necessarily work for you. And that's okay. Talking about sex openly and sharing our experiences will only help us get a better understanding of the sexual landscape — not to mention what we might be into ourselves.

Here, 29 valuable lessons people learned about sex in their 20s.

This month, we're sharing steamy personal stories, exploring ways to have even better sex, and wading through the complicated dynamics that follow us into the bedroom. Here's to a very happy February. Check out more right here.