Getting started |
· | People worldwide are having sex for the first time at an average age of 18. |
· | Almost a third (32%) admit they were 16 or under when they lost their virginity. |
· | Men are slightly younger than women when they have sex for the first time - 17.6 compared with 18.4. |
· | The Americans are having sex younger than those in any other country (16), followed by the Germans (16.6), French (16.7), British and New Zealanders (both 16.9). |
· | People in China are the oldest (22) followed by those in Taiwan (20.6), India (20.3) and Malaysia (20). |
· | More people in America had sex at the age of 16 or under than any other country - six in 10 compared with 51% of Germans and 50% of the French and New Zealanders |
Number of sexual partners |
· | People around the world who are sexually active have an average of 7.7 sexual partners. |
· | Almost three in 10 (28%) have only had one partner, while 16% have had sex with more than 10 people. |
· | Men claim to have significantly more partners than women - 10.7 compared with 4.6. |
· | Those aged 16-20 have already had 4.7 partners, while those aged 35-44 and the over 45s have had sex with 8.7 people. |
· | The Americans have had more partners than anyone else - 14.3 compared with the French (13.2), Australians (11) and Canadians (10.6). |
· | The Chinese have had the fewest sexual partners - 2.1 compared with the Indians (3), Taiwanese (3.3) and Poles (3.6). |
· | In India 77% of people have only had one partner, compared with seven in 10 in China and 52% in Taiwan. |
· | Just 11% of people in France, Germany and America have only had sex with one person. |
· | The condom is the most popular form of contraception globally with four in 10 choosing it ahead of any other form of protection. |
· | Almost a fifth (19%) of people around the world use the pill as their main form of contraception. |
· | Israelis are more likely than any other nationality not to use contraception - 40% choose not to protect themselves compared with 23% of Croatians and 21% of Poles. |
· | The condom is most popular in Japan (76%), Greece (64%), Spain and Taiwan (both 58%). |
· | The pill is most favoured in Germany (50%), Hungary (43%), Holland and France (both 38%). |
Main method of contraception |
· | Almost half those questioned (46%) said they are not personally concerned about contracting HIV/AIDS or another STI. |
· | Women are slightly less concerned than men - 49% admit they don't worry compared with 43% of men. |
· | Those aged 16-20 are more concerned than any other age group. Almost two thirds (65%) said they worry, compared with 55% of 25-34 year olds and 44% of those over 45. |
· | Concern is higher among those who have not had sex - 63% admit they are worried, compared with 53% of those who are sexually active. |
Concern over HIV/AIDS and other STIs |
· | People in Poland are less likely than those in any other nation to worry about contracting
HIV/AIDS or another STI - almost eight in 10 (79%) admit they are unconcerned. |
· | The French (72%) and Hungarians (68%) also show lower levels of concern. |
· | Turks are the most likely to worry - 98% admit they are concerned. |
· | People in Nigeria (95%) and Hong Kong (92%) also show a high level of concern. |
Protection against HIV/AIDS |
· | Almost four in 10 people (38%) admit they do not take measures to prevent contracting HIV/AIDS or another STI. |
· | Women are less likely to take precautions than men - 43% admit they don't, compared with 32% of men. |
· | The Taiwanese (59%), Germans (57%) and Chinese and Poles (both 54%) are least likely to take preventative measures. |
· | South Africans and Nigerians (both 81%) and Thais (77%) are most proactive when it comes to protecting themselves. |
Preventative measures |
· | Of those people taking measures to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, more than six in 10 (62%) stay faithful to one partner. |
· | A quarter always use a condom with a regular partner, while 27% always use one with a new partner. |
· | Seven per cent of people choose not to have sex, while 11% take a regular AIDS test or insist their partners take one. |
· | Taking AIDS tests is most common with individuals in Germany (17%), France (16%), the USA and Canada (both 15%). |
· | The number of people choosing not to have sex to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and other STIs is highest in Malaysia (19%), the USA (16%), Turkey and India (both 15%). |
Frequency of sex |
· | On average, people across the world are having sex 97 times a year. |
· | Those aged 21-34 are having sex the most - 113 times a year, compared with 70 for the over 45s. |
· | People living together (145) have sex more often than those who are either married (100) or single (86). |
· | The Americans have sex more than any other nation at an average of 124 times a year, followed by the Greeks (117), South Africans and Croatians (both 116) and New Zealanders (115). |
· | People in Japan (36), Hong Kong (63), Taiwan (65) and China (72) have sex the least. |
· | One in 10 people have never had sex. |
Where would you most like to have sex? |
· | More than a quarter of people (27%) would like to have sex on a beach, ahead of a
jacuzzi, spa or hot tub (24%) or in the woods (11%). |
· | Eight per cent would like to have sex in a car, while 7% prefer a swimming pool. |
· | People in Hong Kong would rather have sex in the office than anywhere else, while Nigerians would prefer a swimming pool. |
· | Russians would prefer to be in the woods, while the Taiwanese opt for sex in a car. |
· | Men would prefer to have sex - 28% compared with 10% of women, while women would rather go out with friends - 26% compared with 18% of men. |
What attracts you to a partner? |
· | Almost four in 10 people (37%) are initially attracted to someone's personality before anything else. |
· | Just under a fifth (19%) are attracted by looks, while 11% opt for a person's sense of humour. |
· | Women are more attracted by personality than men - 42% compared with 31%, while men prefer looks - 23% compared with 15% of women. |
· | A quarter of Spaniards are attracted by physique, while 15% of Indians notice accent before anything else. |
· | Fifteen per cent of Italians are attracted by sex appeal, while 18% of Britons are drawn to a person's sense of humour. |