WOMEN WHO lose their virginity in their early teenage years are two-thirds more likely to face a crisis pregnancy in later life, a new survey has found.
Members of this age group were also three times more likely to have an abortion, according to the Irish Study of Sexual Health and Relationships.
The survey for the Crisis Pregnancy Agency and Department of Health revealed that almost a third of men and a fifth of women lost their virginity before they were 17.
These people were found to regret the experience more than those who waited until they were older to have sex for the first time. Almost three-fifths of women who had sex before they were 16 said they regretted the decision.
Katharine Bulbulia, chairwoman of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, said the majority of young Irish people were waiting until they are 17 or older to have sex for the first time. "The research shows some young people are saying they are having first sex at a time in their lives that is not right for them."
Ms Bulbulia said the State should equip young people with the knowledge and skills they needed to delay their first sexual experience and that the agency would be launching a campaign to deter "first sex" later this year.
The research on first experiences of sex, the largest of its kind in Ireland, also found there were no differences in the use of alcohol or drugs between those who had sex before 17 and those who waited.
