Sexuality is central to the experience of being human. The dispersion of sexual knowledge and the expression of the diverse sexual attitudes and behaviours have changed over time.

As part of my degree in Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), I carried out a study to explore the sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of students attending the University of Malta.

The target population was university students between the ages of 18 and 29. The sample size was that of 418 students.

Participants were asked about their sources of information in relation to sexuality and sexual behaviour. Females (65.2%) were more likely than males (31%) to report that they have learnt about sex from their mother. In contrast, 34.5% of males said that their father informed them about sex, but only 10.9% of females reported this. This shows that parents tend to discuss sexual subjects with children of the same sex as theirs.

Findings also show that participants wish they had learnt more about sex from their mothers (33%) and teachers (29.9%). As per resources used to learn about sexuality and sexual behaviour, 80.6% of the students said they used the internet.

The study also explored the students’ knowledge regarding the sexual health services offered in Malta. When asked if they were aware of the free services offered for the testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), 35.9% responded that they were not aware. This calls for better promotion of the sexual health services offered on the island.

As for what features they desired to be included in such services, participants gave their first preference to having a friendly atmosphere and staff that is easy to talk to (31.7%), as well as free contraception (24.6%).

The majority (51.2%) disagreed that men need sex more frequently than women, while 24.8% agreed. More females disagreed with this statement, while more males agreed. It is interesting to point out that the majority of males chose to remain neutral (30.3%). This finding highlights gender differences in sexual attitudes. Furthermore, most (43.3%) participants agreed that one should be in love before having intercourse, while 26.3% disagreed with this.

Contraceptive use was also explored. A large proportion (29.7%) of students stated that they were embarrassed to obtain contraceptives. This links with the desire to have contraception distributed for free. Furthermore, the majority (82%) of the participants did not agree that it is the women’s responsibility to ensure regular contraception use ­– this could be the result of improved gender equality.

A large proportion of students stated that they were embarassed to obtain contraceptives

However, some do not use contraceptives consistently. Indeed, when asked about what they would do if their partner refused to use condoms, 68.2% said that they would not accept to have a sexual relationship but 20.6% said they would still accept. 11.2% said they do not use condoms, which of course, could have several negative consequences, like unintended pregnancies and STIs.

With regards to sexual behaviour, when asked if they have engaged in any sexual activity (oral, anal sex, intercourse, petting), more Maltese (19.9%) than foreigners (4.9%) said they have not engaged in a sexual activity. In addition, a larger proportion of Maltese (59.2%) were in a committed relationship when they engaged in a sexual act for the first time.

On the contrary, 8.6% of the other nationalities had no type of relationship with their first partner compared to 4.3% of the Maltese. These findings show that the Maltese are more conservative in their sexual behaviour than other nationalities, which might be because of the norms and values we hold.

As regards their age when they engaged in their first sexual activity, most participants (50.3%)  reported being between 15-17 years, followed by 32.5% who were between 18-20 years and 11.2% who were less than 15 years. Those who engaged in a sexual activity after 20 years of age totalled 5.9%. This finding indicates that sex education in the early teens is essential in order to equip the students with the right knowledge so as to be able to make the right choices as regards safe sex.

Another finding shows a significant association between gender and familiarity of partner with whom one engaged for the first sexual activity. More males reported having just met the person (15.5%) or had known them for a few weeks (25.5%). On the other hand, females reported knowing the person for a few months (56.5%) or years (17%). This difference can be attributed to the different gender-specific behaviours passed on by culture and sexual norms.

Participants’ answers regarding why they engaged in a sexual activity for the first time vary according to gender. For males, the most two chosen reasons were being curious (63.6%) and feeling at the right age (53.6%), while most females said that it was a natural progression in a relationship (44.3%) and that they felt at the right age (43.9%).

When asked how many sexual partners they had had, the majority (65.8%) said they had only had one or two partners, 18.6% said they had had three to five sexual partners, while 15.6% reported that they had had more than six.

An association resulted between the age of the first sexual experience and the number of partners. Indeed, those who reported six or more partners were those who engaged in a sexual activity before the age of 15. This decreased as the age of the first sexual activity increased.

In conclusion, this study aspires to raise more awareness on sexual health and to instigate the right changes in sexual health education and promotion so that more people acquire appropriate knowledge, destigmatised attitudes and act safely when engaging in sexual behaviour.

This study was carried out under the supervision of Prof. Marilyn Clark.