Levels of promiscuity in Britain are now higher than in any other western nation, researchers have found.
The findings come in a new study suggesting that the reason for Britain’s ranking is related to society’s increasing acceptance of promiscuity among women, rather than just men.
The researchers, from Bradley University, Illinois, suggested other factors could include the decline of religious beliefs regarding extramarital sex and a highly sexualised popular culture.
Another survey revealed that a third of 16 to 34-year-olds had had unprotected sex with two to five partners. The same proportion thought it was acceptable to have had up to ten partners by the age of 21.
In the MTV poll of 1,000 young people, 40 per cent believed that one-night stands were “no big deal”.
Earlier this year widespread research from America showed that teenage girls who engage in sexual activity are doubly at risk of becoming depressed.
In a separate report published in July, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) blamed promiscuity for increases in almost all sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people.
Professor Peter Borriello of the HPA said casual sex had become “part of the territory, part of life” for young people.