The Federal Centre for Health Education’s (BZgA) representative study Youth Sexuality 9th Iteration is a representative repeat survey. A large-scale survey of young people, their parents and young adults was launched for the ninth time in the summer of 2019. It follows on from predecessor studies conducted between 1980 and 2014. The goal of the study is to acquire reliable data about the attitudes and behaviours of young people in the Federal Republic of Germany with regards to sexuality and contraception.
Young people becoming sexually active is regularly the focal point of controversial debates in society. This fact sheet puts together important core results about when and how adolescents and young adults between 14 and 25 actually become sexually active. The angle from which the results of the BZgA representative survey on Youth Sexuality are looked at emerges primarily from the desire to gain insights into the contraceptive behaviour of young people. For this reason the focus is on heterosexual contacts. Whenever this fact sheet talks about sexual contacts, it generally refers to heterosexual contacts. Same-sex contacts are given their own section.
Results: An Overview
- The first sexual experiences usually take place during the teenage years.
- The first sexual contacts are also a question of cultural background.
- The trend towards becoming sexually active later is consolidating.
- Same-sex contacts are more widespread among female respondents than male respondents.
- The reason for waiting to become sexually active is often the desire to wait for the right person.
- It is only rare that the first time comes as a surprise.
- The first time is a positive experience for most, but not necessarily for girls and young women.