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.
The sexual experiences of young people are frequently the topic of public debate, especially with regard to their age. This fact sheet presents the core results about sexual experiences from the perspective of the sexually active adolescents and young adults between the ages of 14 and 25 in Germany. There are regular comparisons between the different age groups and if the underlying data allow, the results also discuss both heterosexual and homosexual encounters.
Results: An Overview
- The majority of 17-year-olds are sexually active.
- There are almost no differences between the sexes anymore with regard to adolescent sexual experiences.
- Regular sex is particularly common in steady relationships.
- Girls and young women are more reserved about switching sexual partners (male and female).
- Young men masturbate more often and from a younger age than young women.
- Experiences with masturbation have increased substantially among girls in particular.