14 DAY TRIAL // A recent worldwide research - which investigated data from 59 nations - showed that we should not be so much concerned about 'immoral' sexual behaviors of the population in poorer sexual health states, instead we should be more preoccupied about the inequality between men and women as a major characteristic of the way in which individuals in these countries see sexual life and practice.
The findings of the global survey carried out by Kaye Wellings of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and colleagues have been published in The Lancet's Sexual and Reproductive Health Online Series. Results of the investigation of world sexual behavior and health has indeed 'busted' sexual myths according to which people in countries with poor sexual education and health have sex with multiple partners on a regular basis and also put and end to the general belief that there is an universal tendency towards earlier, underage sex.
On the other hand, the survey brought to light a very interesting fact: namely that people in world regions with high rates of sexual health disorders tend to see men and women as unequal when it comes to sexual life and treat them differently, by underestimating and even ignoring girls and women's own decisions about the beginning of their sexual life and about sexual relationships in general. For instance, the survey reports that first sexual experience is most of the times sold/bought or forced.
Lead investigator Kaye Wellings said: "People who fear a tide of youthful promiscuity might take heart from the fact that trends towards early and premarital sex are neither as pronounced nor as prevalent as is sometimes assumed. The data make a powerful case for an intervention focus on the broader determinants of sexual health, such as poverty and mobility, but especially gender inequality." She added: "We certainly expected to see that in African countries there would be an equal prevalence of multiple partnerships. I don't think we expected to see less reporting of them."
Findings of the study showed that if monogamy is the dominant pattern of sexual behavior among population of countries with poor sexual education and poor sexual health, most individuals who reported having multiple sex partners came from highly industrialized and developed countries on the Globe. Also, other results of the worldwide survey showed that marital couples have sex most often.
"Most people are married, and married people have the most sex. Sexual activity among young single people tends to be sporadic, but is greater in industrialized countries," pinpointed Kaye Wellings. As about the age at which British youngsters have their first sexual intercourse, she said: "In Britain, the average age at which people lose their virginity is 16 for both men and women. The latest estimates suggest 12.5 per cent of boys and 6.9 per cent of girls have had sex before the age of 15, but these figures may be skewed by the tendency of boys to exaggerate sexual activity."
The conclusions of the ample research showed that people have the tendency of exaggerating when it comes to sexual behavior and promiscuity. However, individuals all around the world should become aware of the fact that rates of STDs are on a continual rise in poorer countries as well as in industrialized ones. Therefore, if findings assure us that sexual behaviors are still 'sane' and are not heading towards complete promiscuity or dangerous sexual practices, we should not forget about the simplest, yet the most important rule when it comes to sexual intercourse: 'Have protected sex, use the condom!'