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Young men in Singapore who are sexually active are more likely to get facts about sex wrong compared to women and non-sexually active men, condom brand Durex said in a press release.

The findings were derived from a survey carried out by Durex as part of its safe sex campaign titled, "My Sex, My Way, The Safe Way".

According to the survey, sexually active young men are 39 per cent more likely to be incorrect about sex compared to their female counterparts, and 40 per cent more likely to do so compared to their non-sexually active male counterparts.

The survey involved 400 young people in Singapore, aged 18 to 29, the results of which revealed "worrying misconceptions about sex", Durex noted.

49 per cent of respondents said they were not sexually active while the remaining 51 per cent said that they were "sexually active" — engaging in sex as frequently as once every few months to every day.

Durex: Sexually active young adults more likely to get sex facts wrong

Durex pointed out that sexually active young adults in general are more likely to hold misconceptions about sex.

The condom brand noted that this demographic was more likely to be wrong, compared to their non-sexually active counterparts, when presented with the following statements and asked if they were true or false:

• If a man pulls his penis out of a woman’s vagina before ejaculation, the woman cannot get pregnant.
• A person can transmit a sexually transmitted infection only through penetrative sex
• A woman cannot get pregnant if she has unprotected sex during her period.
• A woman cannot get pregnant the first time she engages in sexual intercourse.

Durex pointed out that all of these statements are false.

In addition, sexually active respondents were more than three times likely to be wrong about the likelihood of pregnancy in different sexual positions.

Durex noted that over 20 per cent of these respondents believe that "a woman will not get pregnant if she is standing up during sex, as gravity will prevent the sperm travelling upwards."

Misconceptions about condom usage among all respondents

A significant proportion of all respondents in general also appeared to hold misconceptions about condom usage.

According to Durex, 43 per cent of all respondents agree that a tighter condom offers better protection while 30 per cent feel that two condoms are better than one.

Both of these are false, Durex added.

DTAP Clinic's Chief Medical Officer, Jonathan Ti, was quoted by Durex as saying:

"In fact, a proper fitting condom should feel snug but not uncomfortably tight, giving the user room for action while being protected. Measuring the erect penis and comparing it with the size of the condom is a good place to start.

And while using two condoms might feel like double the protection, the increased friction from them rubbing against each other makes it more likely for condoms to break."

Gap in knowledge about sexually transmitted infections

Durex also highlighted a "significant" gap in knowledge about sexually-transmitted diseases among all respondents in general, and pointed out the following statistics about common misconceptions from its survey:

• 38 per cent think that STIs are only transmitted by fluid from the genitals,
• 34 per cent don’t know if mosquito bites can transmit an STI, including HIV, from one person to another, and
• 30 per cent think that all STIs have symptoms.

Ti further added that such views were not "uncommon" among patients who came to DTAP clinics.

He cautioned about the danger of having such misinformed views.

"Poor knowledge about sexual health can lead to both increased rates of STIs and unwanted pregnancy in people who do not appreciate the risks, as well as some on the other end of the spectrum who become hyperanxious and paranoid about STIs even from very low risk exposures."

Pornography serves as the top source of sex education for young adults

The survey also touched on the sources of sex education for young adults.

Durex said that the top sources were pornography for 39 per cent of respondents, online articles for 38.6 per cent, movies and videos for 32.3 per cent, friends for 31.3 per cent and the school curriculum for 29.3 per cent.

In comparison, only 10.5 per cent cited parents as one of their top sources of information about sex.

Durex added:

"Shockingly, one in five young adults believe that pornography reflects real sex, and experts are worried that exposure to such material negatively impacts the way young adults view, and have sex."

The press release cited the director for AWARE's Birds & Bees sexuality education programme, Tan Joo Hymn, who said it's "alarming that porn topped the list of sources of sexuality education".

"Porn is a relatively accessible source of information about sex, of course, but by no means should it be mistaken for reliable guidance on consent or sexual health.

Porn may impart actively harmful values to young viewers by normalising violent, sexist behaviours."

Tan added that such findings lend credence to the argument that Singapore needs more comprehensive sexuality education.

She was echoed by Ti who called on parents to do their part.

He said:

"The foundation of healthy sexual knowledge and behaviours should begin at home. Contrary to popular culture, there is no ‘big talk’ where everything about sex gets taught in one go. Information about sexuality should be layered into everyday conversations, with important concepts such as consent, attraction and biological functions being introduced in different stages."

Top photo by Dainis Graveris on Unsplash