Anyone travelling on public transport in an Australian capital city on Monday, November the 21^st may have been struck by a front page headline of the free MX paper 'Virginity for Sale'.

The article discussed two friends, both hospitality workers, aged 21 and 22 from Sydney's west who have decided to auction their virginity online.

The auctioning of virginity is not a new phenomenon and has been gaining a lot of attention in the media of recent years.

The pair stated the intention of auctioning their virginity was to set themselves up for life, including investing in property and travelling.

One of the women stated, 'Girls just give away their virginity for free these days; they just sleep around with whoever it is. We thought it would be a smart business decision. We're not religious, so our virginity doesn't mean anything to us.'

Taking pointed aim at a loaded statement, it is very naïve to believe virginity only has meaning amongst the religious.

There is no disputing that traditionally, religion has viewed the loss of virginity as a significant step in a journey of marriage and parenthood.

For some people virginity is not given away, there is no consent, and for these people this is a traumatic experience they will live with for the rest of their lives.

In a broader secular context, the loss of virginity still marks a passage into adulthood and an experience of trusting a person with something that will forever be etched in their memory.

In stating that people give virginity away for free, these women show they assign no deeper value or understanding to virginity.

Just because someone does not assign a monetary value to their virgin status, does not mean there isn't a cost involved.

It is sad that two young women are so caught up in the materialism of modern society that they see humans stripped of humanity and made into a commodity.

Ultimately this has lead to their view that sex is devoid of intimacy and revolves around the exchange or trading of a good or service for material benefit.

A woman who has lost her virginity, like a woman who begins menstruating, is stepping further along the circle of life and a journey which brings her closer to the experience of womanhood.

The loss of virginity is an emotional experience signaling a new life phase with the opportunity for a deeper relationship and connection with another human being.

By making virginity into a business transaction, there is a loss of the connection and growth offered through this experience.

Dr Meredith Jones of the University of Technology Sydney, stated that there was no way of escaping the fact that this was 'a form of prostitution, It's selling a woman's body part.'

When did society go so far down the path of materialism that we have had to make human beings a commodity which can be paid for?

The Daily Telegraph published an article earlier on the 9^th of November titled 'Sydney escort agency selling 19-year-old virgin'.

The article discussed a Sydney brothel being investigated for offering to sell the virginity of a Chinese student for $15,000.

Chris Seage from Brothel busters was quoted as saying that 'There is a sadly recurring theme among young Asian girls who come to Australia to study and work, and get themselves into debt. It is clear she is doing this because she needs the money urgently.'

Mr Seage went on to state there were no mechanisms to protect girls in this predicament or stop escort service from profiteering from virginity.

In reference to this case, Caroline Norma, a lecturer at RMIT University was quoted as saying 'Australia has a lot to say about human rights violations in China, but while we've got one of their nationals up for sexual sale, are we in any position to take the moral high ground?'

There is nothing empowering about a woman selling her virginity and there is a sadistic element to a man who is willing to pay someone for their virginity.

This shows a disturbing thought process of wanting to commoditise and conquer a body part, much like a spoilt child who wants to be the first to have a new toy.

Both the cases discussed are a sad indictment on our society; allowing transactions in virginity should be viewed in similar terms to selling organs, or even slavery.

Both these practices are illegal in our society as they affect the most vulnerable members of the community.

On vulnerability, we need to question why both these cases involve women who have limited incomes.

One case shows an international student, the other two are workers from the notoriously low paid hospitality sector.

It is time to take an introspective look at society when two vulnerable women see their only way of obtaining a slice of the Australian dream is through the prostitution of purity.