2024-02-14 10:22:32
(Photo: Hecht GGD Leiden)
Research by Hecht GGD Hollands Midden, Rutgers and Soa Aids Nederland into the sexual habits of young people under the age of 25 has revealed a number of striking trends. According to the report, young people are having sex at an increasingly later age, but they still experience a lot of pleasure from it. In addition, young people are more accepting of diversity in sexuality than before.
The research, which is based on data from 3,290 respondents in the Hollands Midden region, shows that young people are on average 18.8 years old when they start having sex. In 2017 this was still 18.2 years. However, the fact that young people start having sex later does not detract from the pleasure they say they get from it. Eighty percent of young people say they really enjoy sex, and ninety percent felt good during sex with their most recent sex partner.
Sexual diversity
Despite the fact that acceptance of sexual diversity is increasing, there are still young people who have negative attitudes towards homosexuality or other expressions of diversity, for example.
Cross-border
The number of young people who have experienced sexual misconduct has increased. For boys, it went from eleven to 29 percent in 2017 between 2017 and 2023. For girls, it went from 43 percent to 68 percent.
Birth control
The use of contraception has decreased. In 2017, 14 percent of girls did not use contraception, in 2023 this was 16.7 percent. This can lead to unwanted pregnancies and the risk of sexually transmitted diseases also increases. So there is room for improvement when it comes to sex education and discussing sexual health. On average, young people give only a meager 5.8 for sex education at school. Many indicate that they need more lessons about various aspects of sexuality. The research therefore emphasizes the importance of good education and open communication about sexuality to ensure the health and well-being of young people.
However, the figures differ slightly per contraceptive method. For example, IUD use has increased, pill use has remained the same and condom use has decreased. The combination of the pill and condom together has also fallen.
Orgasmekloof
Another striking feature is the so-called ‘orgasm gap’. This concept refers to the fact that significantly fewer girls than boys achieved orgasm during sex with their last partner. Eighty percent of boys say they always or usually reach an orgasm, while for girls this is only twenty percent. In addition, many girls experience pain during vaginal sex for the first time. Furthermore, young people do not always seem to communicate well about sexual boundaries and consent.
Society Region Science
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