Risky sex for younger people

Submitted by shelbydburns Thu 06/30/2011

On average, the first sexual experience for young people is sober and with a partner he or she has known for a long time. Slightly alarming is that only about half are using condoms, even for casual or brand new partners. These findings are from a major survey on sexual habits, attitudes and sexual knowledge of young people. It was carried out by the University of Gothenburg on behalf of the Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control. They polled 15,000 people between the ages of 15 and 29.

“We have to get young people to view condoms as an essential part of having sex,” sys Ronny Heikki Tikkanen, one of the researchers. “The fact that so many don’t use condoms, even though they know that they offer protection against both STIs and unwanted pregnancies, shows how important it is to work on attitudes and behavior.”

The survey also found that those who have sex at a younger age are inclined toward risky behavior that may include drugs and alcohol.

“We’ve got to get better at identifying youngsters who take risks,” says Margareta Forsberg of the Swedish Institute for Communicable Disease Control. “We also need to be more aware of the link between sexual risks, drugs and social exclusion. If we can come up with support structures at an early stage, we stand a better chance of promoting sexual health, self-esteem and well-being.”

Source: University of Gothenburg, ScienceDaily

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