Survey: British girls have sex earlier
A survey of British young people finds that girls are twice as likely as boys to have sexual intercourse before the age of 16.
One in three girls and one in six boys lose their virginity before the legal age of consent, The Daily Mail reported. The poll was done for ITV by YouGov, which polled 1,700 people between the ages of 17 and 34.
Drinking and peer pressure appear to be major forces behind teenage girls turning to sex. Ten percent said they were drunk during their first sexual experience, and the same percentage said they felt pressured to have sex.
Fewer than half said they were in love.
An earlier survey found that while boys tend to start drinking earlier than girls, girls become more regular drinkers.
Britain has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Europe and an increasing rate of sexually transmitted diseases.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
