Sex survey: Israeli girls prefer to wait

Israeli girls apparently don't rush to have sex: A new survey commissioned by the Bayer Schering Pharma pharmaceutical company found that the average age for the first sexual experience among Israeli girls stands at 17.2. However, the poll also revealed that 13% of girls ages 13-15 have already experienced intercourse.

Conducted by the Geocartography company, the poll surveyed a representative sample of 300 Israeli households that include girls between the ages 15-24.

The poll further showed that between the ages 21-24, some 80% of women have already had intercourse and that 60% were sexually active. Meanwhile, 46% of girls ages 18-20 stated that they have sex on a regular basis.

According to the survey, most girls begin using contraceptives between the ages 16-18. About 76% of respondents said that they first used birth control methods during the first time they had sex. Only 19% reported they did not use protective measures, and 5% chose to put their trust in the "safe days" or the withdrawal method.

On average girls started using birth control methods at the age of 17. Eleven percent began using contraceptives before they were 15.

The poll also sought to establish the reasons for not using contraceptives and found that 29% of respondents who did not use birth control said they relied on their partner to use a condom. Another 41% simply said they trusted their partner to be careful. Thirteen percent were too shy to see a gynecologist; 6% were worried about taking pills; and 11% claimed that they did not need contraceptives at the moment because they were not sexually active.