According to one study, approximately 52% of freshman in college have had sex (Siegel, Klein, & Roughman, 1999).

If you are currently in college or have spent time in college, you may not be surprised to hear that while only 52% of freshman in college have ever had sex, this same study indicates that number reaches about 86% by their senior year. With half of the 19 million STDs occurring in youth aged 15 to 24 (Weinstock, Berman, & Cates, 2004), studies which identify why some young adults engage in sex while others do not remain an important avenue of research.

Megan Patrick and colleagues examined some of the reasons that college students decide to engage (or not engage) in sexual intercourse. In a recent article in the Journal of Sex Research, they surveyed 943 incoming first year students in a large public university in the southwest.

The results showed that men find self-focused reasons to have sex as more important than women; these reasons were defined as having sex “to make you feel loved,” “because it is an important part of a relationship,” “because it is enjoyable,” and “to see what it is like.” On the other hand, women find partner-focused reasons to have sex as more important than men; these reasons were defined as having sex “to express love and intimacy.” Additionally, those with a greater number of sexual partners by the time they enter college find partner-focused reasons to have sex as less important than students who have fewer sexual partners when they enter college.

Why do college students not have sex? Women find ethical reasons such as “my parents do not approve,” “it is morally wrong/against my religion, “and “I am not old enough” as more important reasons not to have sex than men. And, both men and women find pregnancy and STDs as important reasons for not having sex.

The authors also looked at the students’ personal goals and how they may influence their likelihood of engaging in first sex during college. They surveyed a subsample of these participants during the spring semester of their freshman year. The participants that were the least likely to have sex endorsed “making friends” or “getting good grades” as very important personal goals.

Further Reading:

Patrick, M.E., Maggs, J.L., & Abar, C.C. (2007). Reasons to have sex, personal goals, and sexual behavior during the transition to college. Journal of Sex Research, 44, 240-249.

Siegel, D.M., Klein, D. I., & Roghmann, K.J. (1999). Sexual behavior, contraception, and risk among college students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 25, 336-343.

Weinstock, H., Berman, C., & Cates, W., Jr. (2004). Sexually transmitted diseases in American youth: Incidence and prevalence estimates, 2000. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 36, 6-10.