| Scary Sex Story - Seto Nu-wen |
| ONE in three Singaporeans first had sex between the age of 16 and 21. Their main reasons? Because they felt they were in love and because they felt they were ready. But what is more worrying is this: One in three Singaporeans had unprotected sex with a new partner in the last year. And one in two Singaporeans would still have sex with a partner who refused to use a condom, despite the risk of HIV. These were the alarming results from a survey conducted by condom company Durex in Singapore this year. 'The results basically show a few things - that Singaporeans are having sex at a younger age and many Singaporeans are not having protected sex,' said Mr Tony Lim (right), general manager of SSL Healthcare, the leading manufacturer for Durex condoms. 'Unlike our previous face-to-face surveys, this survey was done on the Internet because this is a medium used by young adults and we wanted a wider scope,' he explained. 'Of course, we have also considered that there may be overclaims. But there are also underclaims so it sort of balances things out.' Mr Lim said what was alarming from the data was the young age at which Singaporeans were having their first sexual experience. 'People are having sex at a younger age. In the past you would expect the mean age to be the early 20s. 'But now the average age seems to be between 16 and 21. That is shocking because this is the very age group of people who are not maturely equipped to handle such matters,' explained Mr Lim. Reasons cited by Singaporeans on why they had sex the first time are varied. Most respondents said it was because they were in love and that they felt it was the right time. More males than females said they did it because they had the chance, while more females said they did it because their partner wanted them to. 'Generally, I'd say that Singaporeans seem to be opening up more and more when it comes to sex. As Singapore becomes more developed, people are more exposed to sex, whether it's the Internet, or the media or movies,' said Mr Lim. 'I believe youngsters have the knowledge, or at least enough access to the knowledge. So they know about condoms and protection but I think the problem is, they don't see the urgency to use it. 'That is why sex education is still important.' But getting the 'use condom' message across effectively has its limitations. 'We are restricted to print magazines and newspapers. The ads are vetted by the authorities but as long as the message is not sensational, it is fine,' explained Mr Lim. 'Generally, we believe Singaporeans are well-educated. You don't need a hard-hitting or sensational ad to get message across. All you just need is awareness.' Then there is also the dilemma of balancing between a pro-abstinence message and a safe sex message. 'In our Asian society, abstinence is always the first message. That is a 100 per cent fool-proof method against unwanted pregnancies and HIV,' said Mr Lim. 'But these are young people with minds of their own. If they are going to do it, the least we can do is advise them to practise safe sex.The two messages should be seen as complementary.' Mr Lim said that ultimately, the safe sex message is a shared responsibility among parents, youngsters, schools and the media. 'I have a 10-year-old son and I am quite open with him when it comes to talking about sex. Children these days mature very fast,' he said. 'I believe, as parent, if you don't tell them, they will find out for themselves so it's better to educate them about the truth from a young age.' |
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