Third 'have sex below legal age'

Nearly a third of 16 to 24-year-olds lost their virginity below the age of consent, a survey has suggested. The BBC Radio 1 poll also suggested 43% of young people had had at least five sexual partners with one in five having more than 10. Over half - 57% - claimed to have had a one-night stand. But many of the youngsters, who made up two-thirds of the 29,623 who responded to the online poll, said they did not always use condoms with new partners. Some 38% of young people do not always use a condom with a new partner, with being too drunk cited as one of the most common reasons. [...]

Key findings 16-24-year olds:

• Virginity: 30% lost it before age of consent, 4% before 14, 4% had not lost their virginity by 25
• Sexual partners: 21% had one, a 33% two to four, 16% five to seven, 8% eight to 10, and 18% over 10
• Orientation men: 87% heterosexual, 6% homosexual, 4% experimented, 3% bisexual
• Orientation women: 82% heterosexual, 11% experimented, 5% bisexual, 2% homosexual.
  

source: Article < Third 'have sex below legal age' >; news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4784939.stm; BBC NEWS; 13 August 2006