Brit Sex Bombshell

Study shows alarming sex and drinking habits of British youngsters

Casual sex is rife among young people with one in three losing their virginity before the age of consent, according to a survey.

Worryingly, 38 per cent of those between 16 and 24 years old do not always use a condom with a new partner.

The survey, BareAll06, found the most common reason was because the girl was on the pill, even though this offers no protection against sexually transmitted infection.

Almost one in five (17 per cent) admitted to being too drunk to even think about protection.

Sexual promiscuity is rampant with 57 per cent admitting to having had at least one night stand.

Some 43 per cent of 16-24 year-olds have had at least five sexual partners, while 18 per cent have had 10 or more.

Pregnancy is the biggest worry among the age group regarding sex - 41 per cent of respondents chose it as their main concern.

That was nearly double the proportion concerned with catching HIV or a sexually transmitted infection such as genital warts or chlamydia.

Respondents from Wales and south west England tend to lose their virginity earlier, with a third losing it before the age of 16. Londoners and the Irish tend to lose it later.

The survey of nearly 20,000 16-24 year-olds was conducted by BareAll06 partners BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, MTV and Durex, and supported by the Department of Health.

Martyn Ward, managing director of Durex UK, said: "These findings show there is still the need to emphasise the dangers of unprotected sex and particularly the importance of using a condom during sex, as a condom is the only method of stopping the spread of sexually transmitted infections and preventing unplanned pregnancy."

Department of Health Minister Norman Warner said: "It is encouraging that young people are confident to talk about using contraception, but to tackle the number of STIs, we have to get them to use condoms more in their sexual encounters."

Some 19,250 16-24 year-olds took part in the survey - part of a bigger study - from May 22 to July 21 this year.