Patterns of First Intercourse: A Survey Among Israeli Women

Seasonality among animals has an important function in breeding cycles. Research focusing on conception and coital activity in humans has called attention to the possible existence of circannual rhythms in human sexual activity. We studied the diurnal variations, seasonality and subjective sexual preference among young women in Israel-focusing on their first intercourse. The survey included 135 college students who completed a self-report questionnaire. Half of the subjects (50%) reported loss of virginity during the summer with an almost equal distribution among the other seasons. Over 85% of the subjects had their first intercourse either in the evening or at night. Subjective sexual – seasonal – preference was reported by 44.4% of the subjects but no correlation was found between the preferred season and actual loss of virginity; except for the autumn “preferers”. Our study supports previous research generalizing the sociological explanation for seasonality of the first intercourse.     

Seasonality of first coitus in the United States.

Recent attention to causes of seasonality of births leads to an interest in seasonality patterns in the antecedents to birth, including gestational length, conception, and coital activity. In this paper we study the beginning of the process: first intercourse among adolescents and young adults. Analysis of a small and local dataset is suggestive that loss of virginity is particularly likely during the summer. A test of this "Summer Vacation Theory" using a large national dataset supports the generality of the phenomenon. Further, a prediction that seasonality patterns will change during the transition from high school to work and college is tested and supported. The existence of both biological and psycho-social mechanisms is suggested. Policy implications are reviewed.     

Cross-sectional study on attitudes toward sex and sexual behavior among Japanese college students

A total of 978 Japanese students, who visited the health services center of a college in Japan for medical check-ups, were asked to anonymously complete a 55-item questionnaire which assessed their attitudes toward sex and sexual behavior. Seven hundred eighty-five Japanese students (80.3%) responded to the questionnaire. In this survey, 90% of male students and 83% of female students indicated that they expected to have sexual intercourse before marriage, while 8% of male students and 3% of female students indicated that it was not wrong to have extramarital sexual intercourse after marriage. In addition, 75% of sexually experienced students reported that they used a condom during their first sexual intercourse, while 73% reported using a condom during their most recent sexual intercourse. The more sexual partners students had had up to the time of the study, the less condom use they reported for both their first and most recent sexual intercourse. The proportion of Japanese students who used a condom is high in comparison to that of students in other countries. However, as students are prone to have sexual intercourse with non-steady, casual partners, more efforts are needed to promote safe sex practices among college students in Japan.     

Sexual risk behaviour of Canadian participants in the first efficacy trial of a preventive HIV-1 vaccine

Background

Phase I and phase II HIV-1 vaccine trials have revealed increases in risky sexual activity among study subjects during the trials, perhaps because the subjects believe that the vaccine being tested is efficacious; subjects may thus suffer harm from their participation. We evaluated the sexual behaviour of Canadian men who have sex with men (MSM) who participated in the phase III Vax004 trial of an HIV-1 vaccine.

Methods

Using self-reports of sexual behaviours during the 6 months before trial entry as a baseline, we determined changes in reported sexual behaviour after 6, 12 and 18 months of participation in the trial.

Results

Of 291 HIV-seronegative MSM enrolled from July to October 1999, 260 (89%) completed 18 months of follow-up, 19 (7%) experienced seroconversion, and 12 (4%) did not complete follow-up. Unprotected receptive anal intercourse during the previous 6 months with partners whose HIV-1 serostatus was positive or unknown was reported by 21% of men at enrolment and by 27% at any point during 18 months of follow-up. No increase in this behaviour from baseline was reported by participants, including among men who were motivated to enrol because of expected protection from HIV-1 infection, men who believed they had received the vaccine, men who believed that the vaccine had greater than 50% efficacy, or men who believed that they had received the vaccine and that vaccine efficacy was greater than 50%.

Interpretation

MSM can be successfully enrolled in HIV-1 vaccine efficacy trials without evident increases in those sexual behaviours most associated with HIV-1 risk.Development of preventive HIV-1 vaccines requires clinical trials that effectively recruit, enrol and retain high-risk subjects, including men who have sex with men (MSM). Since candidate vaccines may prove to have little or no efficacy, these trials must also strive to minimize harms associated with participation. A major concern has been that trial participants might believe vaccination affords some protection and therefore increase their sexual risk-taking.^1,2 This concern derives in part from increases in unprotected anal intercourse observed during phase I and phase II vaccine trials. For example, self-reports of unprotected insertive anal intercourse during the previous 6 months increased among 44 gay men enrolled in San Francisco trials, from 9% at enrolment to 20% at the 12-month assessment; however, the HIV status of sexual partners was not assessed.¹ The world''s first phase III trial to evaluate a candidate preventive HIV-1 vaccine was recently completed in North America and Europe.² A consortium sponsored by the Canadian Network for Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics of Cancer and Chronic Viral Diseases (CANVAC) was formed to assess participation, retention and change in sexual risk behaviour at trial sites in this country. We report here the Canadian experience in this trial through 18 months of follow-up and assess trends in high-risk sexual behaviour reported by participants.     

Patterns of sexual behaviour and reported symptoms of STI/RTIs among young people in Croatia--implications for interventions' planning

This paper describes some of the results of the first national-level survey on sexual behaviour and the distribution of risks to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV), among youth in Croatia, and the nature and the extent of their vulnerability to these adverse health outcomes. The study was a cross-sectional, probability-based household survey conducted in 2005, and included 1093 respondents aged 18-24. This paper aims to describe the findings related to the knowledge of HIV transmission, key behavioural outcomes relevant for potential transmission of HIV and STIs, and correlates of genital discharge in young men and young women. More than 80% of young people know that the correct use of condoms protects against HIV and that HIV can be transmitted by someone who looks healthy. Fifty-nine percent of young men and 52.4% of young women reported using condoms during the first sexual intercourse, and 59.3% of men and 46.1% of women used condoms during the last sexual intercourse with a casual partner. This points to the gap between knowledge of condom use and the actual use of condoms as a high proportion of risky sexual contact remain unprotected. Having sexual intercourse frequently or regularly while consuming alcohol was reported by 19.2% of men and 7.6% of women. Much lower proportion are using drugs frequently or regularly during sexual intercourse (3.7% of men and 2.1% of women). Among those sexually experienced, 11.8% of men and 44.1% of women reported ever having a genital discharge. Higher presence of genital discharge in women is suggestive of reproductive tract infections that are not necessarily sexually transmitted. In the multivariate analysis, the lack of knowledge of whether chlamydial infections is an STI and having more than five partners in life were correlates of genital discharge in men, while in women the correlates included having more than five partners in life and not using condoms during the first sexual intercourse. Higher burden of STI-related symptoms was found among men who have men as sexual partners, those who paid for sex, and those with concurrent partnerships. These findings point out to the immediate need to strengthen sexual health education among young people and to the necessity for further development of other broad-based interventions to prevent adverse sexual health outcomes among both men and women, as well as those targeted towards more vulnerable subgroups.     

Sexual behaviours and contraception among university students in Turkey

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sexual attitudes and behaviours of university students. An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 550 final-year university students aged 20-25 years in Izmir, Turkey. Male students opposed premarital sexual intercourse for both genders more than female students did. The frequency of sexual intercourse among male students (61.2%) was higher than that among female students (18.3%). The mean age of first sexual intercourse was lower among male than among female respondents. The rate of condom use at first sexual intercourse was 47.4%. The frequency of having two or more past sexual partners and masturbation was higher among males than females. It was found that there were culture-specific and gender-dependent differences in sexual attitudes and behaviours of the university students. These results may help in the planning of education and health policies in Turkey.     

First sexual intercourse: age,coercion, and later regrets reported by a birth cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how age at first sexual intercourse is related to the reported circumstances and to determine how these corresponded to views in early adulthood about its timing. DESIGN: Cross sectional study within a birth cohort using a questionnaire presented by computer. SETTING: Dunedin, New Zealand in 1993-4. SUBJECTS: 477 men and 458 women enrolled in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, comprising 92% of survivors of the cohort. RESULTS: The median age at first intercourse was 17 years for men and 16 years for women. Only one man (0.2%) but 30 (7%) women reported being forced to have intercourse on the first occasion. For women, there were increasing rates of coercion with younger age at first intercourse. More men than women reported that they and their partner were equally willing (77% (316/413) v 53% (222/419)). Mutual willingness of both partners was greater for those who reported that it was also the first time for their partner. Timing of first intercourse was considered about right by 49% (200/411) of men and 38% (148/388) of women. Many women (54% (211/388) reported that they should have waited longer, and this rose to 70% (90/129) for women reporting intercourse before age 16. CONCLUSIONS: Most women regretted having sexual intercourse before age 16. First intercourse at younger ages is associated with risks that are shared unequally between men and women. This information is important to young people themselves.     

Attitudes and sexual behaviours of unmarried people with HIV/AIDS living in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria

Background Increasing morbidity and mortality associated with HIV/AIDS may be attributable to the lifestyle of individuals. Appropriate sexual behaviour and lifestyle modification may be helpful strategies for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in many countries.Aim The study was designed to assess the impact of attitudes and sexual behaviour on control of HIV/AIDS among unmarried people living with HIV/AIDS in Uyo, a community in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.Method A total of 365 unmarried individuals living with HIV/AIDS were assessed at the HIV clinic of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital. Attitudes and sexual behaviour were evaluated using the Attitude and Sexual Behaviour Questionnaire adapted from previous studies.Results Of the 365 individuals living with HIV/AIDS, 142 (38.9%) were male and 223 (61.1%) were female. The majority of the subjects were below 50 years of age. The mean ages (± SD) of men and women were 36.8 ± 3.9 and 29.2 ± 1.7 years, respectively. Sexual attitudes and behaviours were variable. There was no change in the partner''s reaction to sex for 28.9% of men and 27.8% of women, abstinence in 7.7% of men and 8.1% of women, and breakdown of the relationship with the partner for 4.9% of men and 7.2% of women. More women than men agreed to undergo testing after their partners had tested positive for HIV. Sexual activity was higher in women than men, with 4.9% of men and 10.3% of women reporting daily sexual intercourse, 16.2% of men and 15.7% of women reporting weekly intercourse, and occasional sexual intercourse being reported by 44.4% of both men and women. After testing positive, 58.4% of male partners and 56.9% of female partners were persuaded to use condoms during sexual intercourse.Conclusion This study has demonstrated unhealthy attitudes and sexual behaviour among individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. This can potentially limit efforts and investment in controlling HIV/AIDS in this region. Therefore there is a need to initiate concrete policies and programmes that would encourage people living with HIV/AIDS in the Niger Delta region to adopt a healthy lifestyle.     

Age at first intercourse

In 1984-85 a representative sample of 286 Danish women and 336 men aged 16-20 years were interviewed about their sexual debut. Seventy-four females (25.9%) and 101 males (30.1%) had not yet experienced sexual intercourse. A maximum likelihood estimation method was used to establish the age distribution at sexual debut. This takes into account knowledge of age at interview among the non-experienced respondents and of the few who did not report age at sexual debut. The median age at first sexual intercourse was close to 16.8 years for both females and males. This appeared to be a consequence of age at debut declining among women and remaining unchanged among males during the preceding 20 years.     

Extent of regretted sexual intercourse among young teenagers in Scotland: a cross sectional survey

This cross sectional survey determined the extent of regretted sexual intercourse among young teenagers in Scotland. Using a questionnaire, data were obtained from 7395 third-year pupils (3365 boys and 3730 girls) aged 13 years and 6 months to 14 years and 9 months in 24 nondenominational state secondary schools. Regretted sexual intercourse, measured on a three-point scale, was analyzed by ordinal logistic regression. The data revealed that 18% (661) of boys and 15.4% (576) of girls had experienced sexual intercourse, of which 74.8% occurred since their 13th birthday. Boys, compared with girls, reported higher levels of regret. For boys, higher levels of regret were significantly associated with having exerted pressure to have sex. On multivariate analysis, reports of being pressured, exerting pressure, not having planned sexual intercourse with partner, and high levels of parental monitoring were significantly related to girls' regret. For women, regret seemed to be related to lack of control. Sex education should focus on assisting young people to develop relationship and negotiation skills. In addition, making teenagers aware of potential emotional and relationship consequences of early sexual intercourse may delay first intercourse.     

Early sexual intercourse and risk factors in Croatian adolescents

Sexual behaviour in adolescence is a sensitive issue and has possible immediate and long term medical and psychical consequences. The aim of the study was to examine whether early sexual intercourse varies by gender and how is associated with unhealthy behaviour and factors of psycho-social well-being. 773 boys and 857 girls of 15.5 years old, included in a representative national school-based survey, conducted in Croatia in 2006, were invited to fill in anonymous questionnaires. Sexual experience before the age of 16 years was reported by 28.6% of the boys and 16.5% of the girls. Early sexual experience in boys was associated with smoking, drinking of alcohol, marijuana taking, physical fighting, and bullying other The odds ratio was highest for smoking. (OR:8. 1; CI:5.4-12. 1). For girls the same variables were associated with the early sexual intercourse, marijuana use being the strongest independent predictor (OR:8.0; CI:5.0-12.6). While controlled for other behaviours, daily smoking remained the strongest predictor for both genders. Girls who had early sexual experience were more prone to be dissatisfied with their health (OR:2.9; CI:2.0-4.2), with their life (OR:2.1; CI:1.4-3.0), communication with father and mother (OR:1.9; CI:1.2-2.8 and OR:1. 7; CI:1.1-2.6) and reported more psychosomatic symptoms (OR:2.9; CI:2.0-4.3). For both genders odds were higher if they had good communication with the friend of the opposite gender. Evenings spent out with friends were associated to early sexual experience in boys and girls as well as poorer school achievement. Early menarche was associated with the probability of being engaged in the early sexual intercourse and with smoking, marijuana use and psychosomatic symptoms. Early sexual intercourse is associated with unhealthy behaviour such as smoking, substance abuse, aggressiveness and lower psychosocial well-being. Preventive educational programmes should follow multi-facet approaches and recognize differences between boys and girls. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination could be part of a comprehensive approach and is not to be viewed as an isolated activity.     

Coerced first sexual intercourse and selected reproductive health outcomes among young women in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Coercion may play an important role in compelling young women to engage in sexual intercourse at an early age. With a decline in age at first intercourse and increased reporting of coercive first sex, concerns of adverse reproductive health outcomes such as unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, have become important issues, particularly in the context of a high HIV prevalence. This paper uses data collected in 2001 from the second round of a longitudinal study of 1130 sexually experienced young women in KwaZulu-Natal to investigate the relationship between coerced first intercourse and selected reproductive health outcomes and behaviours. Nearly 46% of all sexually experienced young women had reported that their first sexual encounter had been coerced. Young women who reported being coerced at first sex were significantly more likely to be Black and living in an urban area. Those who had been coerced at first sex were also more likely to report having had an STI and having experienced unintended pregnancy, than those who had not been coerced at first sex. Coercion at first sex is an important social and public health problem that has a serious impact on the reproductive health and behaviours of young women. Interventions should directly address the issue of sexual coercion by ensuring young women are aware of their reproductive rights.     

Secular trends in self reported sexual activity and satisfaction in Swedish 70 year olds: cross sectional survey of four populations, 1971-2001

Objective To study secular trends in self reported sexual behaviour among 70 year olds.Design Cross sectional survey.Settings Four samples representative of the general population in Gothenburg, Sweden.Participants 1506 adults (946 women, 560 men) examined in 1971-2, 1976-7, 1992-3, and 2000-1.Main outcome measures Sexual intercourse, attitudes to sexuality in later life, sexual dysfunctions, and marital satisfaction.Results From 1971 to 2000 the proportion of 70 year olds reporting sexual intercourse increased among all groups: married men from 52% to 68% (P=0.002), married women from 38% to 56% (P=0.001), unmarried men from 30% to 54% (P=0.016), and unmarried women from 0.8% to 12% (P<0.001). Men and women from later birth cohorts reported higher satisfaction with sexuality, fewer sexual dysfunctions, and more positive attitudes to sexuality in later life than those from earlier birth cohorts. A larger proportion of men (57% v 40%, P<0.001) and women (52% v 35%, P<0.001) reported very happy relationships in 2000-1 compared with those in 1971-2. Sexual debut before age 20 increased in both sexes: in men from 52% to 77% (P<0.001) and in women from 19% to 64% (P<0.001).Conclusion Self reported quantity and quality of sexual experiences among Swedish 70 year olds has improved over a 30 year period.     

Drosophila bipectinata species complex

The Drosophila bipectinata species complex belongs to the ananassae subgroup of the melanogaster species group (Genus Drosophila, Subgenus Sophophora). The members of the complex are: D. bipectinata, D. parabipectinata, D. malerkotliana, and D. pseudoananassae. Of the four species, D. bipectinata is most widely distributed. Females are indistinguishable, but males are distinguishable by their sex-comb teeth number and pattern and by abdominal colouration. Chromosomal inversions have been detected in these species. In natural populations of D. bipectinata the frequency of inversions and the level of inversion heterozygosity were found to be very low but in laboratory stocks inversions persisted for more than 20 generations due to heterotic buffering. On an average 9.3 fixed interspecific inversions separate each species pair. Non-random association between linked inversions indicated epistatic interaction in natural populations of D. bipectinata. Certain spontaneous mutations were detected and mapped for the first time in D. bipectinata. Low frequency of spontaneous male recombination has also been reported in D. bipectinata. Sexual isolation study in the complex indicated strong preference for homogamic mating. The results also indicated incomplete sexual isolation among different members of this complex. The isolation estimate among six different geographic populations of D. bipectinata ranged from 0.54 - 0.92 representing positive assortative mating which is an evidence for incipient sexual isolation. Incipient sexual isolation was also found within D. malerkotliana and D. parabipectinata . Chromosomal, hybridization and allozyme studies revealed close phylogenetic relationship among the four species of the bipectinata complex. Mitochondrial DNA study revealed net nucleotide difference (delta) between these species to be very small (0.0002 +/- 0.0008) reflecting closeness. Evidence for genetic control of sexual activity and existence of sexual selection in D. bipectinata has been shown on the basis of mating propensity tests carried out on geographic strains, their hybrids and diallel crosses. Significant variation was found among the strains tested with respect to courtship time, duration of copulation and fertility. A positive correlation between duration of copulation and fertility in D. bipectinata was found. Evidence for rare-male mating advantage was also found in D. bipectinata. A positive response to selection for high and low mating activity provided evidence for polygenic control of this phenomenon in D. bipectinata. Bilateral outgrowths on thorax, a unique phenotype, reported for the first time in D. bipectinata has been shown to affect mate recognition ability. Results of the study on pupation site preference (larval behaviour) and oviposition site preference (non-sexual behaviour) have also been included.     

Ecology of female mating failure/lifelong virginity: a review of causal mechanisms in insects and arachnids

Sexual reproduction implies binary outcomes of competitive interactions for access to male gametes: lifelong virgin females with null fitness vs. mated females with variable (generally nonzero) fitness. Female mating failure has long remained a dormant concept in sexual selection theory in part because it is acutely maladaptive (lifelong virgins that do not reproduce are strongly selected against) and also due to widespread acceptance of the Bateman–Trivers paradigm (anisogamy and correlated sex roles). Based on recent scientific output on lifelong virginity across multiple taxonomic groups in insects (Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Odonata, Orthoptera, Strepsiptera), female mating failure has become a mainstay of sexual selection over the last decade. Lifelong virginity and senescence (death) are intertwined processes; old virgin females compensate for increased risk of lifelong virginity by becoming less choosy and increasing investment in mating‐related activities. Low rates of female lifelong virginity (<5%) in most natural populations of insects indicate that sex generally ‘works’ due to selective pressures acting on both males and females to enhance lifetime fitness. Mating failures are most common in insects with female flightlessness; these pressures may lead in evolutionary time to transitionary pathways from sexual reproduction to parthenogenesis. Female mating probability is affected by nonlinear density‐dependent processes dependent upon the scale of observation (mate‐encounter Allee effect at large spatial scales, mating interferences between females at small scales). Mate choice and sex role reversal (females being the active sexual partner) are ubiquitous in insects and arachnids with significant paternal investment, but consequences in terms of female lifelong virginity remain unknown. Logistically, conceptual development of female mating failure in insects is most limited by the lack of broadly applicable methods to assess rates of lifetime virginity among flighted females.     

Sexual behaviour, contraceptive practice and knowledge of AIDS of Oxford University students

In 1987, a questionnaire was sent to 584 undergraduate students at Oxford University requesting information about their sexual behavior and contraceptive practices as well as the impact of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) on both these factors. Of the 374 responders, 65% of the women and 62% of the men had experienced sexual intercourse; 1st intercourse had occurred at ages 16-20 years for 89% of the experienced women and 83% of the men. For 36% of women and 37% of men intercourse had been with 1 partner only, for 28% of women and 27% of men with 2-3 partners, and for 36% of both men and women with more than 3 partners. 27% of the women reported no contraceptive was used at the time of 1st intercourse. During the 4 weeks preceding completion of the questionnaire, 15% of sexually active female undergraduates reported not using adequate contraception. Users during this period selected the pill (64%), condom (19%), IUD or diaphragm (9%), or withdrawal/rhythm (8%). General knowledge about AIDS was highly accurate among these students. Most students considered themselves to be at lower risk of contracting AIDS than others of their age and sex. Of the 78% of students describing themselves as at lower than average risk, 14% had had intercourse with more than 3 partners, while 50% of the 20% of students who ranked themselves as at average risk had this number of partners. Only 2% placed themselves as at above average risk, and 65% of these students had had more than 3 sexual partners. Of students who were sexually active, 35% of the females and 44% of the males indicated they are now more likely to use a condom because of fear of AIDS. 49% of the females and 30% of the males indicated they had, or would have, fewer sexual partners because of the AIDS risk. However, there was no association between increased likelihood of condom use and the total number of sexual partners and having had intercourse with someone in a high-risk group for AIDS (prostitutes). Overall, however, these findings suggest that the AIDS threat is producing reductions in high-risk behaviors.     

Teenage sexual behaviour: perceptive and behavioural outcomes associated with receipt of family planning services.

The validity of the fear that providing teen-age girls with family planning information and services will lead to promiscuity is examined. Changes in self-perception of the levels of sexual activity of unmarried, sexually active teen-age girls and changes in the frequency of sexual intercourse and number of sexual partners following attendance at a family planning clinic were evaluated among 71 teen-age girls. All 71 girls, aged between 13 and 18, had had sexual intercourse and were never married. 79% of the girls had had their 1st intercourse 1 or more years before their 1st attendance at a "rap" session. Only 21% had had 1st intercourse less than 1 year before attending. 61 of these girls later received contraceptive services at the clinic (clinic group) and their behavior was compared at follow-up with that of the 10 girls who did not attend the clinic again (non-clinic group). The mean frequency of sexual intercourse of the clinic group increased after receiving contraceptive services but did not differ significantly from the figure for the non-clinic group. 89% of the clinic group, after receipt of contraceptive services, restricted their sexual activity to 1 partner. This study calls into question the basis of some fears regarding the provision of family planning services to sexually active teen-age girls.     

Sexual Behaviours of Homosexual and Bisexual Men in France: A Generational Approach

Objective

In high-income countries, the social and epidemiological contexts surrounding homosexuality and AIDS have changed profoundly in recent decades. This work sought to examine key indicators of the long-term sexual trajectories of successive generations of men who have sex with men (MSM) in France.

Methods

We performed a longitudinal analysis of the French Gay Press surveys, which were self-administered socio-behavioural questionnaires, repeated from 1985 to 2011 in the gay press, and on the internet in 2004 and 2011. An age-cohort analysis using graphical representations and multivariate logistic regressions was conducted among participants aged 18-59 (N=38 821).

Results

First sexual intercourse occurred more often with a male partner in younger generations than in older ones: 76.0% in MSM who turned 18 in 1956-1959, 75.6% in 1980-1983, 83.7% in 2008-2011, p_overall=0.0002). Every generation showed the same pattern of sexual trajectory between 1985 and 2011: globally, the frequency of masturbation increased from the 1985 survey to the early 1990s and then decreased from the late 1990s to the end of the study period. Inversely, the frequency of oral and anal sex decreased in the mid-1980s and increased from 1990 to 2011. The frequency of both oral sex and anal intercourse is currently quite high, regardless of generation (>95% and around 80%, respectively). Compared to their predecessors, recent generations of young MSM reported more frequent oral and anal sex, but fewer male partners in the previous 12 months.

Discussion

While the increased frequency of first intercourse with a man over successive generations since the 1970s may be related to reduced social pressure for heterosexuality, there is evidence that sexual norms among MSM are widespread, with practices spreading across age groups and generations. Although AIDS profoundly affected sexual practices in the 1980s, further AIDS-related events (discovery of HIV antiretroviral drugs and their use in prevention) do not appear to have accentuated ongoing trends in sexual practices.     

L'orgasme de l'homme adulte

We provide data on several aspects of sexual behaviour: masturbation, age at first intercourse, sexual practices during first intercourse, homosexuality and heterosexuality, sexual practices over a lifetime, sexual activity in the past twelve months, frequency of sexual intercourse, last sexual intercourse, achieving orgasm (through vaginal penetration, masturbation by partners, fellatio and cunnilingus), sexual dysfunctions. Data come from recent national sex surveys in: Great Britain (1990–91; n=18.876), Finland (1991–92; n=2250), the United States (1992; n="3432) and especially from the ACSF survey (n=20.055), the French national telephone survey on sexual behaviour conducted between September 1991 and February 1992. Some results about the prevalence of sexual dysfunctions in sexually active men 18 to 69 years old, in France (in %):

- “You do not have an erection (impotence)”

- “often”: 7%, “sometimes”: 12%

-“You ejaculate too early, even before entering you partner” “often”: 5%; “sometimes”: 16%

- “You ejaculate too soon, upon or shortly after entering your partner” “often”: 10%; “sometimes”: 27%

- “It takes you too long to ejaculate once you have entered your partner” “often”: 4%; “sometimes”: 16%

- “You fail to ejaculate at all” “often”: 2%; “sometimes”: 5%

- “You don't have an orgasm” “often”: 7%; “sometimes”: 7%

- “You feel no or insufficient sexual desire” “often”: 3%; “sometimes”: 16%.

     

HIV/AIDS and Croatian migrant workers

Due to their geographical mobility and long periods of separation from intimate partners, migrant workers are at increased risk for a variety of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS. This study sought to investigate patterns in HIV/AIDS related knowledge, attitudes and sexual behaviour in migrant workers in Croatia. In 2003, 566 male migrant workers were recruited during regular required medical examinations and surveyed at seven locations throughout the country. Each participant was asked to complete a self-administered KABP (sexual knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices) questionnaire. The average age of respondents was 38.2 years and the majority worked as seafarers (77.3%) and construction workers (20.5%). Only 18.5% of respondents were able to correctly answer all 13 questions assessing knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Seafarers reported higher levels of knowledge than did construction workers. The average respondent reported having had two sexual partners in the last 12 months, with slightly over half of the respondents (55.3%) reporting condom use at their last intercourse with a casual partner. One fifth of the respondents (20.3%) who reported having had intercourse with a sex worker during the last year reported not using condoms at last intercourse. The number of sexual partners was correlated with age, marital status, faith in God, and personal HIV risk assessment. Attitudes toward condom use, co-workers' HIV/AIDS concerns and the duration of migrant status (within the last two years) were shown to be significant correlates of condom use at last intercourse with a casual partner. The effect of HIV/AIDS related knowledge on analyzed behaviors did not reach statistical significance. Inadequate patterns of migrant workers' condom use, gaps in knowledge about HIV transmission and modes of protection, as well as widespread ignorance regarding available anonymous HIV testing found by this study suggest a critical need for expert intervention to avert the potential for an increase in new HIV/AIDS cases. A coordinated, systematic campaign for HIV/AIDS prevention among Croatian migrant workers should focus on increasing peer communication about HIV/AIDS, especially among younger migrant workers, and on reducing the frequency of sexual risk taking.