More than a third of adolescents and young women surveyed and more than a quarter of men felt that the first time they had sex was not the ‘right time’.

By law, a person must be at least 18 years old to consent to sexual intercourse in the UK.

A recent survey of the UK’s sexual behavior and lifestyle found that many people at that age are not ready for sex.

This survey, known as the ‘Natsal Survey’, is conducted every decade.

Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine used data from 3,000 young people surveyed between 2010 and 2012.

Survey results

According to the answers given by the participants, about 40% of women and 26% of men think that their first sexual intercourse was not at the right time.

Most of them think that they should have waited longer before giving up their virginity or virginity.

However, a small number of respondents favored early sexual intercourse.

Most have had sex for the first time before the age of 18 – about half of them having sex in their late teens.

One-third had their first age before the age of 18.

Will and preparation

The survey also tried to get an idea about the preparation for sex.

That is to say, an attempt has been made to verify whether a person is able to consciously and voluntarily agree to a logical decision to have sex for the first time.

For example, when giving consent, the issue of not being under the influence of any kind of drugs or not giving consent under the pressure of peers and friends has been taken into consideration.

About half of the women surveyed and about 40% of the men were ineffective.

One in five females and 4 out of 10 males feel that their mate was not equally interested in first mating. In other words, they think that their partners agreed to the first meeting under a lot of pressure.

Kay Willings, founder of the Natsal Survey, says age should not be used to determine whether a person is ready for sex.

“Every young person is different – some are ready to have sex at the age of 15, while many 18-year-olds may not be ready,” he said. Willings.

Co-researcher Melissa Palmer said: “Our analysis of the findings suggests that young women are relatively more stressed than adolescents when it comes to consenting to first sex.”

He said that in order to ensure positive and safe sexual intercourse among the youth through discussion among themselves in the case of first sexual intercourse, it is necessary to arrange sexuality curriculum in the schools.

When is the right time?

If you think you are likely to have sex, ask yourself these questions first.

• Am I going to do the right thing?

• Do i love my partner

• My partner loves me equally?

• Have I discussed safety with my partner for the purpose of preventing sexually transmitted diseases? Was the discussion appropriate?

• Can I say ‘no’ at any time if there is a sudden change in sexual orientation? Will my partner and I be satisfied with that decision?

If the answer to all these questions is yes, then maybe you are ready for sex. But if the answer to any of the following questions is yes, then you may not be ready:

• Am I feeling any kind of pressure from my partner or friends?
• Can any kind of grief arise in me after sexual intercourse?
• Am I thinking of having sex with my friends?
• Am I interested in having sex with my partner?

Source – BBC, 15 January 2019