Fewer teens are having sex by the age of 15 as number falls by a third – and now girls are more active than boys
- One theory is that young people are dating less because of the time they spend online
The number of British teenagers having their first sexual experience at the age of 15 has fallen by up to a third in the past decade.
Researchers found that Britain is also one of only two countries – along with Sweden – where girls are now more sexually active than boys.
One theory is that young people are dating less and having fewer romantic relationships and in-person encounters because of the increasing amount of time they spend on social media and their smartphones.
The study, published in the Journal of Sex Research, examined data from 180,000 teenagers in 33 countries including England, Wales and Scotland over a ten-year period.
It found that in 25 countries the number of 15-year-olds who reported having sex has decreased significantly, and in none has increased.
Britain is now one of only two countries where girls are more sexually active than boys (stock photo)
In England there was a decrease of 20 percent, from 26.4 percent to 21 percent, while in Scotland there was a decrease of 35 percent, from 31.2 percent to 20.3 percent.
In Wales, the number of teenagers having sex fell by 15 from 34 to 24.6 percent, a drop of 28 percent.
The research also found that 23.6 percent of British girls reported having had sex by the age of 15, compared to 22.8 percent of boys.
It is unclear why there has been a similar decline in so many countries, although researchers say there has been a general decline in all types of risky behavior among young people.
The researchers, from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, said: ‘There is growing evidence internationally that a decline in face-to-face socialization may be this underlying factor, reducing the chances of all kinds of risky behaviour.
One explanation for the trend is that young people have fewer romantic relationships and date less
“A decline in adolescent dating has (raised) the possibility that the declining prevalence of romantic relationships may have contributed to delayed sexual debut among adolescents.”
Phillip Hodson, a psychotherapist and author, said: ‘This study shows that recent history is now the biggest influence on young people’s behaviour. The Covid pandemic made it illegal for young strangers to get intimate.
“It’s also been 20 years since social media started sucking millions of hours out of teens’ lives – time they might previously have spent meeting face-to-face.”