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.
Alcohol was also strongly linked to a young person's first experience of sex, with 37% saying they had had a drink before having sex for the first time. The survey, carried out in conjunction with BBC 1Xtra, Durex and MTV, also revealed deficiencies in young people's sex education.
One in 10 claimed to have had no sex education at school, while three quarters said they only learned the basics. Many showed a lack of awareness about contraception failure, with 43% not knowing it was possible to get pregnant if a condom is not used correctly and 35% unaware that the contraceptive pill can also fail.
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 Women: 82% heterosexual, 11% experimented, 5% bisexual, 2% homosexual
