Gynaecological and Sexuality Profile of New Patients attending a Family Planning Clinic

2067 first-time attenders (70% of all new patients during the 9-month study period) at a Family Planning Association clinic in Victoria, Australia, completed a questionnaire aimed at obtaining data on the age at onset of sexual activity and contraceptive use patterns. The mean age of study respondents was 23 years; only 13% were married. 86% of the women reported a history of sexual intercourse. The average age at 1st intercourse was 17.4 years, and over 50% were sexually active before 18 years of age. 51% did not use contraception at the time of 1st intercourse, and this rate was lower (37%) among women aged 15 years or less at coitarche. Of those who had used contraception, the most common methods were condoms (52%) and oral contraceptives (37%). When asked to rate the quality of their 1st act of sexual intercourse, 12% indicated the experience was better than they expected, 50% said it was as good as expected, and 38% indicated it was worse than anticipated. 90% claimed that the quality of their sexual experiences has improved since the 1st time. In terms of current frequency of sexual intercourse, 60% reported sexual relations less than twice a week, 26% have sex 2-3 times a week, and 14% have intercourse more than 3 times a week. When asked about their recent contraceptive practice, 47% reported contraception is always used, 26% use contraception most of the time, 10% use contraception sometimes, 5% rarely use such methods, and 12% never use family planning. Since these subjects were either already sexually active or were planning to initiate sexual activity, they are not representative of Australia's female population as a whole. However, they are an important target for family planning education programs.