A significant proportion of young people in Britain lose their virginity “under circumstances that are incompatible with positive sexual health”, according to research published in BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health.
Researchers at University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine used data from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) carried out between September 2010 and August 2012.
Participants (n=2825) were categorised as sexually competent at first heterosexual intercourse if the following self-reported criteria applied to the event: contraceptive use, autonomy of decision, both partners equally willing and occurrence at the perceived right time.
The data revealed that variation in sexual competence was associated with, but not fully explained by, age at first sex. Overall, 22.4% of men and 36.2% of women who had first sex at age 13-14 years were categorised as ‘sexually competent’, rising to 63.7% and 60.4% among those aged ≥18 years at first intercourse. Four in 10 women (39.7%) and 26.5% of men said they did not feel their first sexual experience had happened ‘at the right time’.
Lack of sexual competence was independently associated with first intercourse before the age of 16 years and area-level deprivation (men only). Lack of sexual competence was also associated with lower educational level, non-'steady’ relationship at first sex and uncertainty of first partner’s virginity status. Among women, competence was independently associated with black ethnicity and reporting ‘friends’ as main source of sex education.
The study authors concluded that “a substantial proportion of young people in Britain become sexually active under circumstances that are arguably incompatible with sexual health, defined in its broad sense, encompassing both physical and psychosocial wellbeing”.
