Sexual Behaviour, Sexual Health and Pornography Consumption among Secondary School Students in Iceland

Abstract

The aim of this study was to gain knowledge about secondary school student’s sexual behaviour and sexual health as well as their pornography consumption. A questionnaire was prepared and answered by 384 students in five colleges selected based on a stratified random sample. Most of the students were 18-20 years of age or 87%. One of the main results was that the majority of the participants had seen pornography (86%). The mean age of participants when they saw pornography for the first time was 13. Men were significantly younger than women when they viewed pornography for the first time and spent more time watching pornography than women. Nearly half of all participants had not always used a condom when they had engaged in sex with a person that they did not have a long-term relationship with. Pornography and its consumption has been constantly growing over the past few decades. One of the main reasons for its growth is increasing technology and easier access to the Internet. Comprehensive sex education has not grown as rapidly as pornography, which can be considered a huge risk factor in the shaping of young people’s sexuality and their sexual health.