BIÖG Youth Sexuality Study

Youth Sexuality Study: Prevention in Schools Important for Sex Education

After evaluating a survey of 5,855 young people conducted last year, the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG) has concluded that young people are becoming sexually active later and later.

The current Youth Sexuality Study found that not only first sexual intercourse but also kissing is occurring later compared to the 2019 responses. Seven years ago, 61 per cent of 17‑year‑olds had already had sex, but now the figure is only 40 per cent. The “right” time and the "right" partner are important: at first sexual intercourse, the majority of adolescents and young adults are in a steady relationship (female: 65%, male: 53%) or know each other well (female: 25%, male: 31%).

Young people are aware of contraception and consider it important: condoms are still used during first sexual intercourse (76%). In comparison, the pill is used much less frequently (2025: 34%, 2019: 30%).

Search engines are a good source of information for more than half of young people when it comes to questions about contraception and sexuality. Eighty‑five per cent of respondents consider sex‑education and counseling websites to be trustworthy. Social media and AI‑generated content, on the other hand, tend to be viewed with scepticism.

We are very pleased that the Youth Sexuality Study confirms the importance of prevention in schools: 78 per cent of young people say they have received education about sexuality and contraception at school.

The educational programs offered by Aids-Hilfe Konstanz are free of charge. Feel free to make an appointment for pupils at your school or for multipliers to raise awareness of HIV and STIs and provide information about infections, transmission routes and protective measures. Please email efkes@aidshilfe-konstanz.de or call 07531/21113.