The National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED) provides an overview of the private lives of students enrolled in French universities.
- The proportion of “accepted but not really wanted” or “forced” first intercourse is twice as high among female students (13%) as among male students (6%).
- 9% of students from the most modest families (parental income less than €1,500 per month) have not used a condom, compared to 19% among those whose monthly parental income exceeds €3,500.
When entering higher education, a large proportion of students have not yet experienced their first sexual intercourse, making this population a privileged target in terms of prevention and information on consent.
loss of virginity
The period of studies is an important stage of transition in the love life of young people. While at 17, half of the students enrolled in university have never had sexual intercourse, they are only a quarter in this case at 22 years old. “While it is common for male students and, even more so female students, to be in a couple, the couple relationship is rarely accompanied by a life together at the youngest ages”add INED researchers. 
Many forced sex
Retrospectively, students were asked about the character “desired/not really desired/forced” of their first sexual intercourse. The proportion of first reports”accepted but not really desired” Where “strengths” is twice as high among female students (13%) as among male students (6%). Moreover, it is all the higher the earlier this ratio occurs. If social origin weighs little on consent, the effect of nationality is more marked. The first reports “not really wanted” Where “strengths” reach 23% among female foreign students and 14% among foreign students.
Condom use
A correlation can be observed between the conditions of entry into sexuality and preventive practices. On the one hand, early first intercourse goes hand in hand with less condom use, particularly marked among men. On the other hand, risky behaviors are correlated with the degree of “wish” of the first sexual intercourse. While 16% of female students and 20% of male students whose first intercourse was “desired at that time” say they did not use a condom, these proportions reach 26% and 41%, respectively, when first intercourse was not really desired, or even forced.
Preventive behavior varies quite significantly according to social background: 29% of students from the most modest families (parental income of less than €1,500 per month) have not used a condom, compared to 19% among those whose parental income monthly payments exceed €3,500. The differences are also marked among female students (24% against 13%).
STD
Although male students report less often than female students preventive practices during their first intercourse (use of a condom, having done something to avoid pregnancy), they are also less likely to report having already had a sexually transmitted infection (9 % versus 13%).
“The more systematic and earlier encouragement for screening (of both men and women), for infections that are often asymptomatic, is a key lever in order to avoid contamination between partners and the silent development of complications”, say INED scientists.
unwanted pregnancy
Students also report an unwanted pregnancy a little less often than female students (6% versus 8%), the latter not necessarily having informed the parent.
“These differences between the sexes reveal the persistence of a specialization of roles that places concerns about sexual and reproductive health on women more than on men. Prevention must both promote risk-limiting sexual behaviors but also encourage greater human responsibility”, analyzes INED.
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