Study finds why youngsters have unsafe sex

A new study summarizes key qualitative findings that help in understanding young people's sexual behavior and why they might have unsafe sex. (File photo) (来源：英语杂志 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

A new study summarizes key qualitative findings that help in understanding young people's sexual behavior and why they might have unsafe sex. (File photo)
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    BEIJING, Nov. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Social and cultural factors may help explain why many HIV programs have been unsuccessful, British researchers reported in a study published in the latest edition of The Lancet medical journal.

    "This study summarizes key qualitative findings that help in understanding young people's sexual behavior and why they might have unsafe sex," said Cicely Marston and Eleanor King in the study.

    The researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine discovered striking similarities in what affects young people's sexual behavior in different countries after a review of more than 250 studies of young people's sexual behavior.

    Men were expected to be highly sexually active and women were expected to be chaste, according to data from countries including Britain, Australia, Mexico and South America.

    Some people under 25 years old associate condoms with a lack of trust, while others believe carrying them could imply sexual experience, which might be a plus for men but not necessarily for women, the researchers found.

    The studies, carried out between 1990-2004, showed that young people assess a potential partner's disease risk, and the need for a condom, by their appearance and how well they know them socially.

    The researchers believe their findings help explain why many HIV programs have not been effective.

    "Programs that merely provide information and condoms, without addressing the crucial social factors identified are only tackling part of the problem," they added.