76% of Costa Rican Young
Have Had Sex
The survey "Encuesta
Nacional de Juventud"
reveals that 76% of
Costa Rican youths have
had sexual relations,
more than half having
their first sexual
experience between the
ages of 14 and 17. This
is the first such study
and its findings were
released on Tuesday.
The survey, sponsored by
the Ministerio de
Cultura y Juventud with
the support fo the Fondo
de Población de Naciones
Unidas (Unfpa), reveals
that 60% of the
population between the
ages of 15 and 35 are in
a relationship, the
number increases to 80%
for the population
within the narrow age
group of 30-35 and
overall 38.2% are
married, while 28% are
in a "unión libre"
(common-law)
relationship.
The survey found that
there is a serious lack
of birth control and
family planning,
especially in minors, as
85% of the surveyed say
they avoid pregnancy and
sexually transmitted
disease by maintaining
an exclusive
relationship with only
one partner.
That number is as high
as 94% for those ages
between 15 and 17,
according to Patricia
Salgado of Unfpa.
The use of a condom is
only 52.3% among the
youths living in rural
areas and only 45.3% for
those living in urban
areas, while 41% use
abstentionism as a
method of birth control,
said Salgado.
The survey also found
that 68.9 of the male
adolescents have jobs
while 97% of the females
are unemployed, arguing
that their role is to
support the family. |
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