The Federal Centre for Health Education’s (BZgA) representative study Youth Sexuality 9th Iteration is a representative repeat survey. A large-scale survey of young people, their parents and young adults was launched for the ninth time in the summer of 2019. It follows on from predecessor studies conducted between 1980 and 2014. The goal of the study is to acquire reliable data about the attitudes and behaviours of young people in the Federal Republic of Germany with regards to sexuality and contraception.
The home plays an important role for young people when it comes to sexuality education and contraceptive advice. Parents are important confidants for their children and a central source of advice regarding questions about sexuality and contraception. The results of the Youth Sexuality Study reveal what role mothers and fathers play in the year 2019 and to what extent cultural or religious backgrounds influence parental sexuality education and contraceptive advice. This fact sheet presents the core results about sexuality education and contraceptive advice in the home, largely for participants between the ages of 14 and 17, but on occasion also for participants between the ages of 18 and 25.
Results: An Overview
- Parents are the most important sources for sexuality education.
- Fathers are becoming more significant for sexuality education questions – but only for their sons.
- Whether or not parents are important sources of sexuality education also depends on cultural background.
- In homes with a migrant background, a lower level of education, close religious ties and a Muslim denomination conversations about sexuality and relationships are rarer.
- The contraceptive advice given by parents is also correlated with their cultural and religious background as well as with their educational level.
- Parents are most likely to recommend condoms, there is a significant decrease in recommendations for the contraceptive pill.
- Girls are also informed by their mothers about the free availability of the contraceptive pill and the ‘morning-after pill’, but here too religious denomination and / or migrant background play a role.
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