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Date: June 8, 2001, The Nation

More than a third of the country’s sexually active students in the 6th to 12th grades choose not use any form of protection against falling pregnant or contracting diseases, according to a recent survey conducted by Assumption University.

The survey sampled 1,762 students across the nation who acknowledged having had sexual intercourse.

It found 34.9 per cent chose not to use any form of protection, while 48.7 per cent said they “occasionally” used condoms.

Only 16.4 per cent said they “always” used protection during sexual intercourse.

The survey also found that 38.3 per cent of the students had sexual intercourse at least once a week.

A further 18.6 per cent said they had sexual intercourse two or three times a month, and 13.8 per cent acknowledged engaging in sexual intercourse once a month.

Less than 15 per cent said they did not have sex on a regular basis, with the same percentage conceding to only one sexual experience.

The university said 54.8 per cent of those surveyed were female.

Close to 67 per cent of the respondents said they first had sexual intercourse with a boyfriend or girlfriend.

Around 20 per cent said that they first had sexual intercourse with a fellow student, and 11.07 per cent said that they first had sex with a student from another school.

About 70 per cent of the respondents cited a desire for greater intimacy as the main factor behind their decision to have sex.

The survey was conducted from February 1 to June 6 across 20 provinces, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Surat Thani.

The Nation