How old were you during your “first time”?
It’s a question you’ve probably been asked more than a few times in your life. But today’s kids may be able to give an answer that will frighten their parents – as young as 14 or 15.
A new Statistics Canada survey shows 12 percent of girls and 13 percent of boys have all had their first sexual experiences before they reach 16.
That equals to about one in ten.
Teens in Atlantic Canada and Quebec are the most likely to give in to their blossoming carnal passions earlier, while adolescents in Ontario and the west are more likely to wait.
If the possibility of an early sexual encounter doesn’t upset parents, this should – many kids are practicing unsafe sex, and refusing to use a condom.
In fact, the number who eschew protection actually rises as the younger crowd gets older. Only four percent of those between the ages of 15-24 have reported having a sexually transmitted disease, but experts believe the rate is a lot higher, because many cases simply go unreported.
And not surprisingly, the older they get, the more common the physical encounters become.
Stats Can indicates 28 percent of teens between 15 and 17 have had sex. The figure rises to 65 percent when they reach 18 or 19. And by 20-24, 80 percent are no longer virgins.
The agency doesn’t make any value judgments but does note a few eye-opening commonalities among teens who decide to do the deed when they’re still very young. And they’re divided by gender.
The study finds that for girls, the onset of puberty, low self-esteem, those who drink and those who aren’t overweight often experience early sexual activity.
Boys are influenced by their own raging hormones, a poor relationship with their parents, strong self-esteem, and low household income.
One thing both seem to share: a tendency to start smoking early often leads to a similarly early start for physical encounters.
Teen Sex Survey By The Numbers
Sex by age 14 or 15
Boys: 12%
Girls: 13%
Sex by 15-17
28% overall
Sex by 20-24
80% overall
Multiple Partners
33% of those 15-24 had more than one partner in the previous year. Of those, 3 in 10 didn’t use a condom.
No condom
20-24: 44%
18-19: 33%
15-17: 22%
Smoking and Sex
12 or 13 years old: 26% boys, 31% girls had smoked cigarettes. Of those, over a quarter had intercourse within two years.
May 3, 2005