Kimberley Johnson—no relation to Virginia Johnson, of Masters & Johnson fame—worked with mother to compile The Virgin Diaries to aid young people curious about that most intimate of acts—losing one’s virginity.

Virginity—and the loss of it—is a highly charged issue. Bristol Palin, Sarah Palin’s daughter and single teenage parent, is out promoting abstinence to unmarried teens. She commands $15-$30,000 per speaking engagement. During the past decade of teaching abstinence, however, teenage pregnancies increased—they increased 3% from 2005-2006 alone.

Kimberley’s biggest “ah-ha” from writing the book was the men reported in the book were just as sensitive, thoughtful and scared as the women. The biggest difference between men and women regarding losing viriginity is the men described how the act felt physically while the women described how it felt emotionally.

Listen to the entire, revealing interview below: