Truth About Sex: 60 Percent of Young Men, Teen Boys Lie About it

Results from an online survey of sex and relationships, including attitudes and sexual history, paint a complicated picture for young US men.

The Chicago-based youth market research company TRU partnered with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and Seventeen magazine to conduct the survey of 1,200 males ages 15-22 in November. Of participants, 300 each were ages 15-16, 17-18, 19-20, and 21-22. The intent was to measure sexual respect, Seventeen said.

Among the findings:

• 45 percent said they were virgins.
• 60 percent reported lying about something related to sex: 30 percent lied about how far they have gone, 24 percent about their number of sexual partners, and 23 percent about their virginity status.
• 78 percent agreed there was "way too much pressure" from society to have sex.
• 57 percent of sexually active respondents reported having had unprotected sex.
• 53 percent said they had talked with a parent about preventing pregnancy.
• 51 percent said having sex before marriage was acceptable in their family.
• 66 percent said they could be happy in a serious relationship that did not include sex.

The survey also found a double standard in terms of "hooking up," "friends with benefits" and other areas of sexual openness: Among males, 53 percent said having a lot of casual partners makes them popular, but 71 percent said it makes girls less popular.

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