A bride who waited over four decades to have sex for the very first time - only to find out on her wedding night that she was unable to - has opened up on her decision to remain a virgin for so long.
Despite describing herself as a 'modern woman', a cause close to 44-year-old Sarah Jones-Green's heart meant she wanted to wait for that special someone to come along.
Thankfully, this happened for the London-born marketer in 2020, when she met her now-husband, Martin Green, on a dating app.
On their first date, the pair had spoken about sex, with Sarah - who was 40 at the time - being transparent about her reasoning for waiting until marriage.
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She said Martin, 44, was 'patient and kind', and more than happy to wait until she was ready.
Lifting the lid on her reasoning, she revealed she'd been brought up in a Christian household and saw physical intimacy as 'something special'.
"I didn't want to give myself to just anyone - someone I could eventually break up with or in a one-night stand," she explained.
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And while she doesn't judge others for the decisions they make in the bedroom, Sarah also revealed that her mother had a part to play in her decision to wait until marriage.
"My mum, Pamela, also waited until marriage to have sex - and after she died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 72, I was even more determined to make her proud," she continued.
After four years of dating, Sarah and Martin tied the knot in September of last year.
Sadly, however, their wedding night was somewhat tainted when the couple attempted to engage in sexual intercourse for the very first time, with Sarah claiming she knew immediately it wasn't going to work.
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After she began suffering an 'aching' sensation, the magic disappeared.
Discussing the heartache, Sarah continued: "I wanted to get it seen to straight away.
"We just couldn't work out how to have sex without pain - Martin was fine, but I was really frustrated."
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She added: "I remembered my mum had the same issue on her wedding night, and wondered if her problem was hereditary."
After undergoing a physical examination by her GP, it was found that Sarah has a condition called a microperforate hymen - when the hymen is very thick but has a single, small opening.
Sarah is currently awaiting a hymenectomy - a surgical procedure where the extra tissue of the hymen will be removed, which usually costs around £1,000.
She added that - despite waiting for surgery - she's still feeling 'abnormal' and believes that being able to have sex would make her feel 'complete'.
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"I'm a virgin bride - and I don't want to be - having sex would make me feel like a 'normal' newlywed," Sarah explained.
"I didn't have any inkling about this condition before, I literally only realised something was wrong when Martin and I tried to have sex for the first time. I'd waited such a long time - I just wanted to experience what everyone else has."
Topics: Women's Health, Health, Sex and Relationships, Life, Real Life, True Life
Rhianna Benson