Sex in Israel: Now more than ever
By Douglas Davis
Jerusalem Post

LONDON (November 27, 2001) - The collective Israeli libido has 
risen over the past year, placing Israel among the most sexually 
active countries on Earth, according to the 2001 Durex Global 
Sex Survey being published today. 

Not surprisingly, Israelis also rated lovemaking as their 
favorite pastime. The survey, which covered 28 countries 
worldwide, was conducted among 500 Israelis by the condom 
manufacturer. 

It found Israelis make love on average 110 times a year, up from 
105 times in the previous year. This places Israel in the top 
league of lovers, ahead of Britain (107), Germany (105), and 
Holland (94), but still behind the US (124). 

Israelis also rated having sex as their favorite pastime. 
Some 23 percent of adults declared lovemaking was their top 
leisure-time activity, while 20% preferred socializing with 
friends, and 13% would rather watch television. 

Israelis would most like to make love on a beach or in a whirlpool 
bath, spa or hot tub. While 10% of Italians would enjoy sex on 
the kitchen table, this was the preference of just 3% of Israelis. 

At the same time, however, the survey showed that young Israelis 
hold on to their virginity longer than youngsters in other 
countries. While the average age for first sex is 16 years in the 
US and 16.7 years in France, average Israelis have their first 
serious encounter at 17. 

Israelis are also found to have fewer sexual partners - an average 
of 8.1 - than most other countries (an average of 14.3 in the US). 
But some 8% of Israelis surveyed have had more than 20 partners. 

On average, Israeli children are 13.8 years old when they receive 
their first sex education. Fully 31% said they did not learn the 
facts of life in school. 

Almost one-fifth of Israelis surveyed preferred to learn about 
sex from their partners, while 15% would opt for sex education at 
school and 14% from healthcare professionals. 

The survey also found four in 10 Israelis were worried about 
contracting HIV/AIDS and other sexually-transmitted diseases, 
although 26% take no measures to protect themselves. Of those 
who insist on protection, only 18% use condoms for casual sex 
and just 11% would ask their partners about their sexual 
histories.