Sex advice: Don’t be afraid to commit to a relationship

I’m a shy 21-year-old male student and I’ve never had a relationship — I’m afraid of sex. I’m not scared of commitment but of the consequences of sex.

Sex and relationships are intrinsically linked so it is unlikely that you will ever encounter one without the other. Anonymous propositions might occur in porn movies but in the real world people tend to stick to a fairly predictable dating-and-mating ritual.

Phase one starts with flirting and progresses to the exchange of telephone numbers. Phase two involves waiting by the phone, making small talk and then agreeing to meet for a date. Phase three peaks with playing tonsil hockey, and somewhere down the line phase four climaxes in sexual intercourse.