Sexual knowledge, attitudes, and practice of Israeli adolescents

Abstract

A study of 4,976 high-school students in Israel, representative of this age group for the entire country except for 13 percent who attend religious schools, revealed that about one-third of the boys aged 14-15 and almost one-half of those in the 16-17 age category have had sexual intercourse. The respective figures for girls are 6 percent and 16 percent. Age at onset of sexual activity was found to be higher and the level of knowledge about the same as in reports from the Western world. Students of Oriental origin, as well as those considering themselves religious or traditional tended to be less active sexually, more conservative in their attitudes, and less knowledgeable. In contrast, students of both sexes residing in kibbutzim were found to be more active sexually and more knowledgeable. A double standard for girls was accepted, especially among the female respondents, except in the kibbutzim. A subgroup of girls highly sexually active, in contrast to their own attitudes, has been identified, and possible reasons for this discordance discussed. As sexual activity among teenagers is becoming more prevalent, comprehensive and early sex education school programs should be encouraged.

PIP: A study of 5198 high school students in Israel, representative for this age group for the entire country, except for 13% who attend religious schools, revealed that about 1/3 of the boys aged 14-15 years, and almost 1/2 of those aged 16-17 years have had sexual intercourse. The boys' level of knowledge was higher than the girls', older students were better informed than younger ones, and kibbutz and regular school students fared better than students in vocational or agricultural schools. Students of Oriental origin, as well as those considering themselves religious or traditional tended to be less active sexually, more conservative in their attitudes, and less knowledgeable. More than 80% of the sexually active girls had intercourse with just 1 partner while only 40% of the boys so reported. Reasons for first intercourse included love, sexual drive, curiosity, and unpremeditated action. Only 1/3 of the sexually active girls and 1/2 of the sexually active boys used contraceptives; the most prevalent reasons for this were, "I was not prepared," and "I did not think of it." Pregnancy occurred before the age of 16 in more than 75% of all the girls who became pregnant. A double standard was very evident among all sex/age groups, but more so among the girls. A subgroup of sexually active girls, in contrast to their attitudes, was identified. As adolescent sexual activity is on the increase, early and comprehensive sex education school programs should be encouraged.