Belgian youths having sex at a younger age

26 September 2005

BRUSSELS — The average age people in Belgium lose their virginity is 16.9, while 10 percent of 24-year-olds are still a virgin, new research has revealed.

Belgian weekly magazine Humo also reported on Monday that 79 percent of people aged 23 or 24 are still dependent on their parents.

Five years after its previous survey, Humo has conducted a follow-up survey and will report on the results in the coming four weeks.

Youths were surveyed on four main themes: sex and relationships, politics and society, money and free time and school and work, newspaper ‘Het Laatste Nieuws’ reported.

The average age that youths currently have sex for the first time is 16.9 compared with 17.1 five years ago. Girls lose their virginity on average earlier than boys.

In the 15-16 age group, 19.4 percent of girls had already had sex, compared with 9.1 percent of boys. In the 18-year-old group, two out of three women have had sex, compared with one out of every two men.

The survey also revealed that 10 percent of people age 24 have not yet had sex.

Two-thirds of youths who have had sex, do so safely. However, the survey also revealed a difference between intention and reality: more than 80 percent said they only use a condom if they are not certain about their partner.

Of the surveyed women, 4.2 percent said they were lesbian, while 4.2 percent said they were bisexual. Some 5 percent of the males said they were gay and 1.5 percent bisexual.

Subject: Belgian news