Ah, the youth of today. Most people tend to assume that anyone under the age of 30 is off having rampant sex at every opportunity. All young people think about is sex. Sex, sex, and more sex. Right?
Not quite. It seems that young people are now having sex a lot later than previous generations were. They also aren’t having it as much. So why has this information sent people into a panic, and why aren’t young people having more sex?
1991 Youth Risk Behavior Survey
The 1991 Youth Risk Behavior Survey makes for some interesting reading. It shows just how things were back in the 90s, and just how the attitudes of young people to sex were. Back then, it seems that everyone seemed to be having it.
The statistics tell us a different story. They show that, of the 12,272 surveyed, 54.1% have ever had sexual intercourse. That’s over half. So while not everyone was out having sex, there were still a lot doing it. Enough to make many people feel pressured to have it.
They also discovered that 18.7% had more than 4 sexual partners in their life time. 69.3% were currently sexually active, and while 81.8% used a contraceptive method, just 46.2% were using condoms. When you put it like that, the statistics don’t sound so good, do they?
2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey
We know that times change, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wanted to see how. They decided to go back to the study and ask more generations on their views on sex. The full study tells us a lot about changing attitudes, but here are the bits I am most interested in.
It seems that the percentage of high school students who have ever had sex has gone down. In fact, it had dropped to 39.5%, which is a difference of 11.9. That might not seem like much, but the survey also shows the continued decline in this regard! From 47.8% in 2007 to 39.5% in 2017 is a big deal.
In fact, almost all of the results showed that we were moving in the right direction… all except for condom use. 53.8% said that they used them during their last encounter. This might be higher than the results in 1991, but back in 2007 61.5% reported using them! Maybe we need to start focusing on using condoms again.
Why aren’t young people having sex?
This might seem like fascinating information to have, but in truth it is causing some concern. Why aren’t the young people of today having as much sex as previous generations were? Given how widespread kink is, and that polyamory is accepted now, people are expecting the youth of today to be at it at every opportunity.
Some feel that the statistics show that they just don’t want sex like they used to. They might enjoy other things instead. If they want it then they’ll have it. If not then they won’t. Others believe that they aren’t under as much pressure, thanks to the change in expectations. Some also put it down to a clearer understanding of consent!
Of course, we also need to take into account that some people just don’t want sex at all. It doesn’t interest them, because they are asexual. It is okay to not want sex now, just like it is okay to put pineapple on pizza if that’s what you enjoy.
Is it really a big deal?
I will admit that I had sex a lot later than my peers. There were times when I felt the pressure and expectation to have sex, but I didn’t. I didn’t want it, and when I did have it, it was because I had decided that I wanted to have sex. There wasn’t any pressure or regret afterwards, even when the relationship didn’t work out.
Is that because our society has changed so much? Is it really that big of a deal that younger generations aren’t interested in sex like they used to be? Apparently it is. Some are concerned that it is showing a withdrawal from intimacy. They feel that this might continue into adulthood and leave many unable to form intimate relationships in the future.
So is this something we should be concerned about? I want to hear your thoughts on this topic. Why do you think young people aren’t having more sex?
Since then she has gained a fine reputation with her blogs on sex advice, sexual health and amusing news stories from around the globe. She is also a campaigner for the rights of sex workers from all over the world.
In her spare time, Lara keeps herself active by going running, and is something of a film buff. She also loves to go travelling.
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