SEX BITES – FIRST TIME

• Don't be pressurised into having sex for the first time before you're really ready. Young people are often made to feel boring, immature and unattractive if they do not become sexually active, but not having sex is NOT a reason to feel like this.

• It's true that people do start having sex younger these days but, on average, it actually occurs a good deal later than most people imagine.

• The most recent National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles reported that a quarter of women and nearly a third of men have sex before the age of 16. In other words, the vast majority – three-quarters of women and two-thirds of men – do not.

• Research also suggests that people who delay losing their virginity until their late teens are more likely to have an enjoyable and memorable experience. Their decisions are more likely to be based on feelings of love and romance.

• Sex is like a lot of things in life – it tends to get better with time and practice. But we expect a lot more today than our grandparents did. This is creating a new kind of pressure on people to perform – especially on people who are starting out.

• If the earth doesn't move the first time you have sex, don't panic. Because no two couples are alike, good sex is often a matter of trial and error.

• As a first step towards good sex, we all need to find out what our partners really like. A good lover is not just someone who knows what to do – but what to ask too. Sex is about talking as well as doing.

• Sexual technique is clearly important, but it's not everything. We're not machines programmed to reach orgasm at the touch of a button, but individuals, each with our own emotional needs and wants.

• Be sure that what you are doing sexually is something you are happy doing, and that you are not being pressured into things you are not comfortable with.