A few months ago, I hooked up with a guy, after exchanging naughty text messages and the like, and we fooled around a bit.
Unfortunately for my feelings, we have become really good friends in the process...
I'm still a virgin, and it hangs over me like a disease. He is totally aware of this, and has offered to sleep with me, so I can gain some experience with someone who is safe, and someone I can trust.

I'm concerned about how it'll affect the friendship, and wondered if anyone else has ever been in a similar situation?

It depends. If you're both sure you want the same thing--even if it's to stop after your first time--then you should go ahead. You should talk with him about whether having sex will change your friendship, and if so, how, so caution is a good idea. I think it's perfectly natural to feel a little nervous, personally.

Like a typical guy, I went and lost my virginity to a total stranger (though, admittedly, she was a hot blonde Danish au pair, so I think I deserve a little leeway). I thought we had something going on afterward, but it turned out to be a one-night stand that lasted about two weeks. Still, after I reconciled myself to that, I came away with fond memories.

My next encounter after that was not so much with a close friend as with the sister of a close friend...which can be a major risk in and of itself. I haven't talked to the close friend since, though I'm not sure if that's because of the later breakup with her sister (the sister dumped me), as the fact that she later went through a fairly sad divorce from another friend of mine. Bleah.

Anyhow, sex *always* changes a relationship. It's too intense not to. If you're ready for that, though, it's better to have sex with a friend than with a stranger. With a friend, you just might wind up closer afterward. Heck, you might wind up doing it over and over and over...

I'm hoping it won't affect the friendship. We've done other stuff. We just haven't had full sex. That doesn't seem to have affected the friendship at all...
I guess it's simply a fear of having sex... I keep trying to think of excuses why we shouldn't do it, which is just stupid.

I agree that sex with someone I know and trust is better than with a complete stranger. At least I know I'll be safe.

Thanks for the advice...

Just to update people on this, and basically give some advice...
I would personally not advise having sex with a close friend.

It has well and truly destroyed a great friendship. We still talk, and still see one another, but I cannot speak to him the same as I used to. I feel very angry with myself.
I will never be able to go back to a normal friendship with him because of feelings that have developed, and I suppose that is why I am angry with myself.

I had sex with a friend but we were friends for a verry long time as we grew up together where there was one of us the other was not far away.After a while when we got older we managed to have sex i thought it ruined our friendship but instead our friendship grew into a relationship stronger then ever.now were married and she is still my best friend.

It sounds silly really, because we are still very good friends, but I supoose a lot of it is to do with paranoia.

I wait for the day he'll call and say he no longer wants anything to do with me, even though he probably never will say that.

He's kind and caring when we are together. It's certainly not a wham bam thank you maam situation. I guess it's fear of the closeness ending. AND the fact this is still all new to me

I think you need to take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and then think of this entire situation from a purely rational view (well as rational as possible, I know it can be a difficult experience). It would seem that if the two of you have become good friends, and if he has some previous experience, then, although intimacy always changes any relationship, there should still be a friendship. If he should change and not wish to pursue the friendship, then it would appear that his goal was the conquest, and it calls into question how much of a friend he actually is or was. And, if that is the case, even though it is hurtful to find a false friend, it's better to discover it now before the roots of sharing and caring and romance grow deeper. The further that a relationship develops, the greater the pain of extrication. And it is also important to realize that the chances are good that you will, as time goes on, have other friends that you will be intimate with. And many will remain friends long after the smoldering coals of desire have burst into flame and then faded into warm embers to be rekindled, perhaps again or by another. But there will be those who are more concerned with burning the calories than they are concerned with whom they are burned. You can only be responsible to one person and that is yourself....and if you are true to yourself and honest with others, then the relationship which envelops the mind, the heart, the soul, AND the loins, will ensue. I hope this makes some sense and can help you to be hopeful rather than afraid.

I'm sorry, there is another point that I wanted to make. And that is, if the friendship remains viable but the desire on either side, remains for one not the other, it is important to remember that good friends don't just fall out of trees. On too many occasions in my life I have heard someone say,"I'm so in love with him/her, but if we can't be lovers I can't stand to be around him/her." It's a little like throwing out the baby with the bathwater. A really good friend may well outlast one or more true loves. Hopefully you will find both in the same person.

This circumstance is in the category of "damned if you do-damned if you don't." Or, no matter which way you go, it will turn out wrong. Your life and relationship will never be the same, either way.

Bottom line is you must do what feels right to you, and let the chips fall where they may.

Just thought that I should share my experiance with dating a friend. I was friends with this girl for about a year before we started dating. We then proceded to date for almost four years. Then as our paths divided we went throught a painful breakup, we were not mad at each other it just sort of fell apart. Anyway almost a year later we are now good friends again and she is actually comming to see me this weekend.
I guess what I am saying is if you really have a good friendship it will survive. That isn't saying that after we broke up we went out for coffee as friends together, there were some akward moments. But, as long as you can trust each other (yes you need to trust him) the friendship should survive if it was established in the first place (and not just the conquest).

I've only had sex with females, but I've had sex with many of my friends and it hasn't effected any of our relationships in the least. I've actually made a friend when I brought someone home from the bar, found out that we weren't made for each other, and now hang out quite often. I'm just saying that sometimes under the right circumstances it's okay to have sex with a friend as long as you both know your boundaries afterward.

I think there's a simple answer to this.

Imagine you went ahead and had sex with your friend. Now imagine that the next day he went out and had sex with someone else. How would you feel?

If you can't honestly say it wouldn't bother you, then I don't think it's a good idea to proceed.

If you're interested in a relationship with this boy, you should be honest. He might feel the same way - but going down that road with him without clearing the air about everyone's intentions has more chance of backfiring than working out.