JOHANNESBURG, Oct 12 (AFP) - A global online sex survey showed on Tuesday that almost 60 percent of South Africans engaged in unprotected sex despite the fact that the country has one of the highest AIDS rates in the world.
The results of the 2004 Durex global sex survey concluded that South Africans were amongst those most likely to have unsafe sex without checking their partner's sexual history.
"According to the survey, 58 percent of South Africans have had unprotected sex without knowing their partner's sexual history, which means that South Africans are taking serious risks," said a statement released by Durex South Africa.
The figure is much higher than the worldwide average of 35 percent of people who admitted to having had unprotected sex.
But South Africans did express serious concern about AIDS, with 77 percent saying it is the most important sexual health issue today.
The country grapples with a sky-high AIDS rate with UNAIDS estimating that 5.3 million people, or one in every nine, are HIV-infected.
"Forty-nine percent of South Africans believe the government should be investing more heavily in sex education programmes in schools as the best way to help prevent HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
"Perhaps this is because 21 percent of South Africans have never received any formal sex education," the statement said.
More than 350,000 people from 41 countries participated in the survey.
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