Despite all of the hysteria about the "sexualisation of society", and you wouldn't think it when you read the Daily Mail, but it seems that in Britain a significant number of teenagers are waiting longer to have sex. Perhaps sex education is working?
The poll reveals that the number of people having sex before 16 years old has fallen from 32 per cent in 2002 to 20 per cent now. The age at which the typical Briton loses their virginity has increased since they were last asked in 2002, when the figure was 17.13 years. Young women generally have sex younger than their male counterparts - at the age of 17.44 years, compared with 18.06 for men.
And sanity is striking in terms of long-term relationships: "The number of people who believe that monogamy is natural, from 74 per cent to 67, showed that with Britons living longer and healthier lives, the idea of lifetime fidelity is in decline."
The figures on homosexuality are also interesting, with "those admitting to having had sexual contact with someone of the same sex" rising from 11 per cent to 15. Does that mean more sex, or just more openness? Pretty hard to tell.
There's more analysis of the survey here.
Although of course some things never change, with the News of the World salivating today over the resignation of the Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman, Mark Oaten, after it revealed his relationship with a rent boy. (He is supposed to be, and who knows, maybe even is, "happily married", with two children.) Now that's traditional Britishy sexuality ...
We'd better watch out, however, since American missionaries will probably be over here soon, trying to reverse the trends, as they are elsewhere.
From Peru to the Philippines to Poland, U.S.-based conservative groups are increasingly engaged in abortion and family-planning debates overseas, emboldened by their ties with the Bush administration and eager to compete with more liberal rivals.
The result is that U.S. advocacy groups are now waging their culture war skirmishes worldwide as they try to influence other countries' laws and wrangle over how U.S. aid money should be spent.
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
Kids waiting longer to have sex yet fewer people buying into monogamy... that's not the combination I would have expected but then I am not an expert.
As to American influence, I don't know... maybe it's about time. We had notable British celebrities recording messages to be phoned and played to Ohio voters encouraging them to vote for Senator Kerry and have had all sorts of European (mostly UK) celebrities getting involved in American political causes.
Beyond that, I think it is an interesting question over whether or not the American people/American government ought to have any say how the money they lend and grant is spent. On one hand, I believe in "no-strings attached giving." On the other, it's 'our' money and if it is going to be spent in ways counter to the collective wish of those providing it maybe they should do or say something. It is an interesting point to consider.