"One Partner" Male 75.6%, Female 89.5%
Most Teenagers with Sexual Experience Had It "During 12th Grade"
A survey found that Korean adult men and women most commonly have their first sexual experience between the ages of 20 and 24.
On the 21st, the Korea Health Industry Development Institute released domestic sexual behavior survey results in a policy research report titled "Cost-Effectiveness Analysis for Expanding National HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Vaccination," commissioned by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (lead researcher Su-yeon Yoo, associate researcher).
The online survey was conducted from January 6 to March 18, 2022, targeting 3,193 adults nationwide (ages 19 to 59), including 1,573 men and 1,620 women.
First Sexual Experience Most Common at Ages 20-24: 66% of Men, 57% of Women
The survey results showed that the most common age for first sexual experience was "20-24 years" for both men and women, at 65.9% and 57.4%, respectively. This was followed by "25-29 years" (men 19.8%, women 26.4%) and "30-34 years" (men 4.1%, women 7.5%).
Additionally, 8.9% of men and 6.0% of women reported having their first sexual experience at age 19 or younger.
Among the 238 respondents (140 men, 98 women) who reported first sexual experience at age 19 or younger, regarding whether they had sexual partners during high school (multiple responses allowed), the highest percentage was during the third year of high school (men 57.1%, women 54.1%), followed by the second year (men 47.1%, women 49.0%) and the first year (men 36.4%, women 32.7%).
The survey also found that when meeting sexual partners in the past year, respondents tended to meet partners of similar age groups.
Among Those with One Sexual Partner, 75.6% of Men and 89.5% of Women
Regarding the number of sexual partners, both men and women most commonly reported having "one" partner, at 75.6% and 89.5%, respectively. This was followed by "two" partners (men 11.4%, women 5.4%) and "three" partners (men 5.7%, women 3.1%). Thirty-five men (2.2%) and seven women (0.4%) reported having seven or more sexual partners in the past year.
Regarding HPV vaccination status, "never vaccinated" was the most common response, with 92.2% of men and 69.3% of women, followed by "completed vaccination" (men 5.0%, women 26.1%) and "incomplete vaccination" (men 2.9%, women 4.6%).
Study Finds Low Cost-Effectiveness in Expanding Cervical Cancer Vaccine
This survey and study were conducted to evaluate whether expanding free HPV vaccination, which prevents some types of HPV that cause cervical cancer, from female adolescents to include male adolescents is economically viable. The goal was to understand the infection rate of sexually transmitted infections like HPV.
The research team analyzed the economic effects of three scenarios: adding male adolescents aged 12 and older to the current HPV vaccination support program focused on female adolescents aged 12 and older, and switching the vaccine from the existing bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines to the nonavalent vaccine.
The results showed that none of the scenarios were cost-effective compared to their costs.
Accordingly, it is expected that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s pledge to expand the national immunization program (NIP) for HPV vaccination to male adolescents may face setbacks.
HPV is a virus that causes genital infections and, if persistent, can lead to cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer, anal cancer, genital warts, and tonsil cancer. Approximately 90% of HPV infections naturally clear within 1 to 2 years.
Women can benefit from HPV vaccination in preventing cervical cancer, and men can be helped in preventing genital warts caused by HPV infection, leading to calls for free vaccination for male children and adolescents as well.
The government has provided free HPV bivalent and quadrivalent vaccines to 12-year-old female adolescents since June 2016, and since 2022, has expanded support to include females aged 13 to 17 and low-income women aged 18 to 26.
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