Is 15 Too Young to Lose Your Virginity? Kim Cattrall Thinks So

Is 15 too young to lose your virginity?

"Sex and the City" actress Kim Cattrall thinks so. Despite the wild and uninhibited character she played on "SATC," the sultry actress has reportedly said she regrets losing her virginity at such a young age.

"I should not have had sex so young. I lost my virginity at 15 and thought, 'Is that it?' I was not ready for the experience. It set a pattern after that. I was not expecting a great deal from sex -- and I did not get it either," she reportedly told The Sun.

The 54-year-old added that she used to think sex would lead to love, but "It did not, of course."

Cattrall's confession got us thinking: How young is too young to lose your virginity? I sometimes think that parents and the media focus on the wrong things. The thought of teens having sex makes us nervous, but why? I think the debate has been clouded for so long by fear and moral judgment that people aren't even sure WHY teens should abstain.

I am not a mother yet, but when I am, this is what I plan to tell my kids about sex:

1. If you do have sex, be safe -- in more ways than one. Obviously, everyone should be using condoms. And at such a young age, the birth control pill or another form of birth control is a good idea for back-up. Nobody wants to be a pregnant teenager (or a teen dad).

BUT! -- and this is the issue that is often overlooked -- "safe sex" isn't just about birth control. Do you fully trust your partner? Are you sure he or she is not videotaping you or plotting to post pictures of you on Facebook? Are you 100 percent sober when you're making this decision? If not, you should be.

2. Reputations matter. It may be 2010, but reputations still matter, especially if you're a woman (sad but true). If you do decide to have sex, will your partner keep it private between the two of you?

3. You WILL get emotionally attached. Plenty of hardened 30-, 40- and 50-something adults are surprised by how emotionally attached they feel after sex, never mind teenagers. Don't kid yourself that you're not going to get involved.

4. You'll probably break up. Listen ... you're in high school. Odds are this relationship is not going to last forever. And the break-up will hurt -- badly -- especially if sex is involved.

All that said, a recent study showed that being in a committed relationship can have a positive effect on teens. I was in a long-term relationship myself as a teen and it was wonderful ... while it lasted. Sometimes, I think it would have been better to have stayed emotionally unencumbered a little while longer. However, there would have been no convincing my 15-year-old self of that fact ... which is why we have to give kids the information they need to make the best possible decisions.

Melinda Miles is a freelance writer who is happy to be over the Wednesday hump.

Speaking of sex and Kim Cattrall, check out this clip of a young Kim in "Porky's" [VIDEO]: