TheSite.org sexual health survey

TheSite.org hosted an online survey in October and November 2004 on sexual health. A total of 399 respondents completed the survey.

The results:

• 87% of respondents have had sex, with almost half having lost their virginity before the age of 16;
• 42% feel they lost their virginity at the right time with the right person - almost a quarter did not, or felt pressured into it;
• Two-thirds of respondents were not worried about STIs, and more than half did not seek advice about contraception;
• One in five respondents had no sex education at school, and a third thought that what they had was too biological;
• Half of the respondents believe sex education should be taught by professionals, and should be more focussed on relationships;
• Online information sources have been more helpful than any other means of getting information, with almost a third saying it is most useful;
• More than a half have never been tested for an STI;
• 75% of respondents use condoms on an ongoing basis;
• 45% have used emergency contraception;
• Getting pregnant is the biggest sex-related worry for more than a half of respondents.