‘Britons don’t believe in monogamy’

By OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

London

Oct. 26: Sex at work, one-night stands, losing virginity before age of consent - Britons sure are changing world's perception of them. They no longer can be identified with the old description of them as "repressed."

A special survey on British attitudes towards sex by ICM Research of 1,044 adults above the age of 16 years for the Observer newspaper found that multiculturalism does not really extend to sex. Only 28 per cent of Britons have had sex with person of a different colour to them and 57 per cent would consider it in the future.

Surprisingly, the survey revealed that men are far more likely than women to have had sex with a person of a different colour to them (34 per cent and 22 per cent respectively) and also to consider it in the future (67 per cent and 47 per cent respectively).

The people in the 35-44 age group, 39 per cent to be exact, are most likely to have had sex with a person of a different colour. Also, monogamy is no longer the benchmark of commitment as one in five people revealed that they did not believe that monogamy was desirable. Three out of 10 Britons did not even think that monogamy was natural. The class factor comes into play here, white-collar Britons are slightly less likely to view monogamy as natural than blue-collar Britons, the survey found.

Men are significantly more likely than women to have been unfaithful to their partner (22 per cent of men compared with 13 per cent of women).

Rates of infidelity peak in the north of England as 28 per cent of people living there have been unfaithful to their current partner. Even among those who believe that monogamy is desirable, 12 per cent have cheated on their partner.

Half of all Britons have had a one-night stand. Fifty-seven per cent men and 42 per cent women have had a one-night stand. Among those aged 25-44, 64 per cent have had a one-night stand and only 24 per cent of those aged 65+ have had a one-night stand.

A majority of Britons believe that the most important component of a successful relationship is trust and sex is the third most important factor. Trust scores above communication, money, humour and equality.

Almost half of Britons, 40 per cent, believe that children in school are being given too little information about sex. Fifty-four per cent of those aged 16-24 believe children are given too little information, but with each successive generation, the feeling that children are given too much information about sex at school starts growing.