According to survey results released yesterday by SIGO, the Italian Gynaecology and Obstetrics Society, more young Italians practised safe sex on holiday in 2010 than in previous years.
The Society, which promoted an educational campaign about safe sex called “Travelsex” throughout the summer, monitored 4,000 young Italians from ten cities for ten weeks. The average age of those monitored was nineteen.
The survey found that 88% of those interviewed had had sexual relations and 19% said that they had had sex with more than five partners.
61% admitted to having had at least one one-night stand during the summer holidays and of these 72% said that they had used contraception.
Condoms were the most popular method, with 50% of respondents saying they had used them, whilst 18% of the young women polled said that they used the contraceptive pill.
Another 12% said they used other methods. There is, however, some concern as 23% said they relied on the coitus interruptus method which, of course, does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
A SIGO spokesperson said that the results show that young people are becoming more aware of contraception and safe sex issues but that there is still a need for educational programmes on these matters in Italy, where 66% of patients presenting with sexually transmitted diseases are under 25.
