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.
This fact sheet provides an overview of the state of sexuality education and of the onset of sexual maturity markers among adolescents between the ages of 14 and 17 in Germany. In addition, it examines to what extend there is a need for more information surrounding the topic of sexuality. Young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 are also heard.
The focal issue of this fact sheet lies on sexual maturity markers, specifically the onset of periods (menarche) and the first ejaculation; further changes, such as a change in vocal pitch and pubic hair (Kahl, Schaffrath Rosario & Schlaud, 2007) are not discussed further.
Results: An Overview
- Eight in ten adolescents feel sexually educated.
- The level of sexuality education is correlated with age, socio-cultural background and sexuality education received in school.
- Maturity marker: girls are experiencing their first period at an increasingly younger age.
- Male respondents expressed more surprise about the arrival of sexual maturity than female respondents.
- There is much interest in further information on the subject of sexuality.
- The long-term trend shows: the sexuality education measures of the recent decades are bearing fruit.
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