The notion of "the first time" resonates with everyone. The age of first sexual intercourse is one of the key indicators in the "Context of sexualities in France" survey (Inserm, ANRS-Infectious Diseases), the fourth edition of which was unveiled on Wednesday, November 13. In 2023, it was 18.2 years for women and 17.7 years for men. These median figures have risen slightly since the previous edition of the survey. In 2006, girls and boys started their sexual life with a smaller gap, at 17.6 for the former and 17.2 for the latter.

Have young people become more patient? Not necessarily. The snapshot shows the Covid generation, who experienced the impact of successive lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, and a de facto delayed take-off towards autonomy. Nathalie Bajos, director of research at Inserm, who coordinated the survey, has pointed out that the upward trend has been underway for longer. Among other explanatory hypotheses, the sociologist cited the economic crisis of 2008, "which contributed in particular to the decline in the number of people leaving their parents' homes," the deterioration in young people's mental health, well documented in the last decade, and also a greater reflexivity regarding sexuality among the younger, better-informed generations.

"During the survey, we chose not to define exactly what is meant by first intercourse. This was done in order to leave it up to each individual to define its contours. However, in the vast majority of cases, it is associated with the first act of penetration," said Bajos. It remains a founding moment, and young people talk about it as such, always distinguishing between those who have done it and those who haven't. Nonetheless, "Today, entry into sexuality is experienced as a process, of which this first intercourse is a part, without necessarily being the starting point," said Armelle Andro, a demographer at the University of Paris-I, who also coordinated the survey.

The researcher listed the stages of entry into sexuality: first digital exchanges, first interactions and seductive relationships on social media, first flirtations, what young people call "preli" (for foreplay), she said. Masturbation, to which a growing number of women are testifying, including younger women, is part of this.

Contrary to the image of abstinent youth conveyed by some surveys, the first elements of this survey rather, showed a generation that was more active in its sexuality. "Young people clearly have a more qualitative vision of sex, less subject to normative injunctions about what sexuality should be," said Andro. For them, lack of sexual activity was less of a problem.

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