My then boyfriend is a pretty shy person around the old intimacy. So to be honest, it didn't really come up as a serious proposition for about ten months. This was obviously fine at first, and then it was starting to be embarrassing.
I decided to take control of the problem, and told him he either had to sleep with me or we had to break up,* because it was embarrassing to be virgins at our age. Also it looked super bad for my rep that it was known he was not railing me, as it led people to think there was something wrong with me or he had a broke dick.
An afternoon to cut classes was chosen. It was Valentine's Day, because why not load on the pressure. We went to his flat. The deed was accomplished. It was sore and also extremely awkward. Afterwards we went for chips and consoled each other on this shit experience. A couple months afterwards we were drunk on a night out, went back to his flat and decided we would give it another go. This was more successful and less awkward, although I did have to throw up afterwards. This was not his fault, it was because of vodka. We had to practice a bit until we got it right and also decreased the cringe to acceptable levels.
It's lucky we got married, because honest to god I could not imagine doing something that awkward with anyone else, ever. It is so bad to try to learn how to have sex when neither of you knows what you are doing and you both just want to curl up and die with embarrassment. I respect everyone who has managed to have more than one sexual partner.
Lesson: Do not make a date to have sex. It is very weird. If you are stupid enough to do that, definitely drink first.
*this is incredibly toxic behaviour and he should as a matter of principle have dumped me for this; this was absolutely not the way to confront this issue; I have apologised many times but he tells me not to be gay about it