Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia, Inc. - Tuesday October 28 8:49 AM EST
Paul Majendie
The poll criticized Russians as selfish lovers and said Hong Kong people were often too exhausted by work to bother.
The condom manufacturer Durex pried into bedrooms around the world, questioning almost 10,000 people in 14 countries about their sex lives.
The survey concluded that people on average have sex 112 times a year, three up on the 1996 total.
The French replaced Canadians as the most considerate lovers. More than 50 percent said partner satisfaction was their top priority.
"But Russians are more concerned with their own satisfaction and have almost no concern about catching or spreading sexually transmitted diseases," the survey said.
"Losing one's virginity is happening at an earlier age every year," it said. "Globally the average age of first sex has decreased from 17.6 years in 1996 to 17.4 years in 1997."
Germans felt very strongly that sex education should start under 10 years of age. Mexicans, Spaniards and Italians agreed the younger the better.
In the sexual Olympics, the gold medal went to the French who say they are now making love 151 times a year. They just overtook the Americans who got to 148.
No detail was spared in the condom manufacturer's survey which even asked which nation has the most sexual stamina.
"The Italian stallions practically gallop through sex, taking only 13.8 minutes but those with the most stamina are the Americans ... who keep going for almost half an hour," it said.
At the other end of the scale, a hard day at the office played havoc in Hong Kong where sex was infrequent and quickly dispensed with -- 12.3 minutes on average.
"Too tired for sex may well be the underlying reason for Hong Kong's low sexual frequency," it said.
The condom makers expressed concern that the safe sex message was not getting through in the era of AIDS.
"The survey results indicate a decreasing concern for HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies which, coupled with an increasing preoccupation with sexual pleasure, makes for a potentially lethal mix," it said.
People in the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Spain and Thailand were canvassed for the survey.
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