Student offers her virginity for sale online

A cash-strapped Kiwi student is selling her virginity to the highest online bidder.

Unigirl, a 19-year-old from Northland, has placed an ad on Hamilton-based website I Need under the heading Relationship for Sale.

"I am desperate for money to pay my ongoing fees. I have never had a sexual relationship and am still a virgin. I am offering my virginity by tender to the highest bidder as long as all personal safety aspects are observed," reads the ad.

"This is my decision made with full awareness of the circumstances and possible consequences. I am fit, healthy and have no medical conditions of any nature. I am a keen athlete and have a trim physique."

Unigirl did not respond to requests for an interview.

Ross McKenzie, one of the website's founders, said the listing was the most unusual they'd had since I Need was launched in August last year but there were no plans to remove it at this stage.

"It's taken us a little bit by surprise," said McKenzie. "Our approach is provided it's not illegal or offensive, we'll run the ad. At this stage we're respecting a member's right to advertise freely upon our site, and that's where the matter rests."

Unlike similar websites like Trade Me, bidding and correspondence between buyers and sellers is private so it is not known what bids Unigirl's offer has received.

David Do, co-president of the New Zealand Union of Students Associations, said the union sympathised with Unigirl's financial situation.

"Many students are hard-up given the recession, which means it's been harder to find jobs."

Bruce Pilbrow, CEO of family organisation Parents Inc, thought it was "horrifically sad that a young lady feels that to get into university, she has to give away something so valuable and precious".

Catherine Healy, of the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective, said she hadn't heard of anyone else in New Zealand selling their virginity and found Unigirl's listing "extremely worrying".

Healy urged the student to contact NZPC for "practical information" on the realities of sex work.

But sexologist Blair Bishop said he saw no problem with Unigirl's offer. "It's just a novel form of sex work."