(M26) I am totally new to the world of dating and intimacy, but am working on changing that. As a virgin, though, I am a little nervous and unsure about the sexual dynamic that exists when you start dating someone. I’m quite insecure about never having any romantic experience, and would really want to build a connection and sense of trust with someone before even trying to kiss them—but since I’ve never dated, I have no clue how long that would take. I would really want a first date, maybe even the first couple dates, to be more platonic in nature while we get to know each other.
Without oversharing about being an insecure virgin, how would I want to communicate this to a date? Is this what “taking it slow” means?