Casual sex 'common' among Stockholm youth

Stockholm idea of safe sex...."You don't got nothin right?"

Why do I have a ho0rrible feeling that the HIV numbers are going to start rising?

This is no news for somone living in Sweden

I hope they all catch VD. Is nothing sacred any more? Say no to pre-marital sex!

Are you supposed to put the used condoms in the recycling container, or...??

@ Syftfel: you've got to be kidding, right? No pre-marital sex? You don't think that sex is an important part of growing up and life experience? Not to mention that it's just a very fun thing to do too...

I'm not sure where you are from but the average age at first marriage is:

USA: 28.4 for men, 26.5 for women (2009)

Sweden: 31.1 for men, 32.5 for women (2008)

You seriously think it's better to stay a virgin until then? Or are you one of those who think it's better to get married at age 20 or something? When most of us are still clueless about what they want from life and their expectation of a life partner...

@ Raffe,

Everything you stated seems to come from a very self-centered point of view that does not take health, wisdom, or personal responsibility into consideration. Yes, it would be much better for people to not wait until they are in their 30s to get married, or late 20s either. For one thing, your society will not survive that way, because fewer children will be born. And if they are, they are apt to be born outside the context of marriage, so they grow up in single homes or in homes where there is no marriage. There is no stability for the child in that. No, sex is not a part of growing up. That is absurd. Sex should take place within a loving, healthy marriage. This is what is healthy for the individual and for society as a whole. Unfortunately, the western world today is all about satisfying the self at all costs and ignoring or even lying about what works best for society as a whole in the long run. Divorce, living together, STDs -- these are not healthy things for society. No one cares what happens to the children who grow up in these situations, and then the children just repeat the same pattern when they are adults.

Casual sex is ok, but intense sex is even better.

@ MarshaLynn OMG I don´t know where to begin :S what does stability for a child have to do with marriage? what does wisdom and responsibility have to do with marriage? What the hell kind of wisdom about sex can you have if you are a virgin?? Do you mind telling us what the basis for the statement "sex should take place in a loving healthy marriage" is? what does that even mean? What does sex have to do with society as a whole? "divorce, living together (?) are not healthy things" LOL what?? :D what patterns will they repeat? the best thing for EVERYONE is when people are happy and healthy. regardless who they are with. If I stay with my wife for the rest of my life, I hope that doesnt make my son think he has to stay with his if she happens to turn out to be a b***h

Paging Christian moralists...

@ marshalynn

"Sex should take place within a loving, healthy marriage."

Should according to YOU and your magic book I guess.

You like it like that, do it like that.... And other people will do it how they want.

None of your business either way.

I wouldn't dream of having unprotected sex with strangers. I can't believe people do it, in this day and age.

Sex is supposed to be enjoyed only between two people married one to another.

Outside that prerequisite,sex can only bring shame,hopelessness,illness,loneliness,that means moral death,before physical death follows,and then,etrnal death.

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!

The "problem" (for someone that think that is a problem) is quite common not only in Sweden.

I think in Norway is the same.

In Poland, in Slovakia and here where i Live, in the Czech Republic, is really really common.

So this article is not so interesting for me.

@technoviking thumb up !

As it is often the case, many comments come from far-right people (often typical Americans) including fundamentalist Christians and fascists.

If sex can be enjoyed only between two married people, how in the hell did people procreate for the thousands of years that passed before the Bible was written? That's what I'd like to know.

Lol at some comments here!

'' I want people to get some disease because they don't share my way of life!'' Wow, must be posting from North Korea or something.

40 per cent is very low.

casual sex? BAH! I only go for semi-formal sex :P

So does that mean that the other three who didn't use a condom can be accused of rape? Or does that only apply to foreigners ....eg. Julian Assange

Oh here we go again. The Condom salesmen are at work again. The prospect of a life condemed to absolutly crap sex which = as young people very well know is Sex with a hidious condom, is a life NOT worth living... For you other scaredie cats who live your life only half alive... brain washed into being afraid of a boogie man behind every corner & every tree.. it's far more dangerous to drive or ride in a car, cross the road, of ride a bike in an urban area than to have sex without a condom. The most contagious STD is SCABIES, can take you six months to get rid of & can drive you insane! So what are you going to do? Wrap your whole body in cling film? Get a perspective on the irational disproportion fears you are being brain washed into believing that benifit commercial & politicle vested interests. Think for yourselfs, never follow the crowed, enjoy your life & set yourselves FREE!

There is nothing as casual as having "casual sex". Amongst Swedes, that is the daily bread and butter and you do not need studies to prove that. I have seen "casual sex" two times in the Metro and no one cared. In fact, some people around seemed to enjoy the view of two younsters giving a show. Casual sex is nothing new in Sweden. What would be a good news is for the country to start having a true democratic government and not a "casual" one.

What do expect living in this socialist paradise? Casual sex subsidized by the government with condoms that no one appreciates. Quit subsidizing casual sex and you'll get less of it. Let the free market operate and hard working sex will be banged out and paid for at no cost to the taxpayer. Thus improving the economy and satisfying customers.

But the people in this pic is not Swedish ?

Why they do not find any other appropriate Swedish pic for this news. Once again lame

How hard can it be to use condom when having casual sex? I have little sympathy for people who get incurable STDs because they haven't bothered to use condoms which have been available and they have known all the risks.

@finnishguy With all due respect, you are indoctrinated & you sound like a 50 year old Virgin or someone who has never experienced sex as nature intends it should be... It's for good reason nobody use condoms, don't you know what you are missing? The vastly more pleasureable, sensual, passionate & exciting sex that is experienced only in sex without a condom. The IRATIONAL manufactured fear of STDs is hystericaly exagerated & it is now know more than PC to say "I use a condon" where in private almost everyone I know who enjoys the most vitle & important thing we do... Sex, privately never use these discusting Depressing condoms. Life condemed to the rubbish, clinicle sex that comes with a horrid condom... is a life wasted... a life NOT worth living... Everyone knows this... That's why Condom are despised for what they are & thus hard to use. Never follow the crowed, be sure the the only thing you can be sure of being true in the news papers is the DATE, always question authority & convention thinking & always be suspicious of Mantra. Think for yourselves...

The answer could be best given by a patient suffering from incurable STD. Those who have not experienced the misery of being a diseased person can never give a fair judgement on this. So I consider all comments in favor of having "casual sex" weightless. Don't explode humanity with BIOLOGICAL BOMB of STDs. I consider this criminal rather a terrorist activity to endager human life just for your pleasure of few minutes.

It is obvious Hasham is a religious fanatic who as he states, STDs are a biological "bomb and is worse than terrorism..... Obviously Hasham you are misplaced so why don't you leave and head back to the desert where you belong... Where casual sex is not a possibility......

"Biologial exploding TIME BOME of STD's" ?! This is more hysterical, irational indoctrinated, paranoid extremism, much like massive hysterical disproportionate fear of Terroism which proportionatly, is a PHANTASY! The biggest con every pulled on the bovine masses in recent modern times to justify theft of our privacy & civil libeteries so that governments can capitalize by firming up their positions by "saying" that they are "protecting us" and to the benifit of a massive growth of the security industry gleefully cashing in on the growth of a culture of control manifested from the SALE of the disproportionat risk of this phantasy. What if, what if, WHAT IF? The ceaseless marketing of FEAR! Wake up people think for yourselves... They have been predicting an epidemic "TIME BOMB" of HIV for 30 YEARS... Among exclusive heterosexuals WHERE is it?! Enjoy life! Don't be affraid...

@Javlaengelsman, You sound like the kind of preacher you can find standing on street corners 'spreading the gospel'! Do you find it hard to accept people wanting to use condoms to protect themselves? Part of me hopes you encounter HIV somewhere down the road in your life just for the sheer irony.....not that i'd wish that on anyone in reality! Hopefully what you've written is just a joke though.

@kynbcfc I can see your point about your view of me being a preacher though can you not see the Irony of your own statement that you can not see I am merely reacting to being relentlessly PREACHED at by the anti sex, anti fun salesmen of FEAR... Your kind of snipe (although not all that mean) is similiar to the usual mud thrown at people who stand up and voice rational dissodent reactions againts the status quo inorder to make them sit down again... You haven't credibly countered any of my arguments all of which are anylitical seriously considered statements.. I am not advocating that EVERYONE go out and have casual sex with EVERYONE without a condom but that they be discriminating about who they have sex with without a condom & if they do so, that it is hysterical to live with the irational fear that is relentlessly PREACHED at us... as the result of engaging unhindered by artifical material & moralistic dogma, the most meaningful fulfilling pleasurable & rewarding act in life, the act that drives life it's self. It is TRUE that the things we do daily in our everyday lives that are not even pleasureably rewarding... expose us to much greater likelyhood of dangers than having sex without a Condom. Think about it...

As a US college student and visitor to Sweden in three weeks I can only say I will be bringing a few condoms with me. Its disturbing to hear that so few use them during sex. I am all for people making their own choices with sex but please make smart choices. Pre-marital sex is necessary. By this I mean you wouldn't buy shoes you never tried on! And if you don't wear a sock in that shoe God only knows what kind of fungus you will get!

Well I am Medical Doctor and whatever I said, I said with responsibility. I encounter with patients of STDs in my daily life and I am very well aware of their regrets and psychological states. So instead of over reacting stay calm and behave in a civilized, sensible way as one day you'll land in mine or some other doctor's clinic begging for cure and may be there will be not much to be offered. And mind me this happens, if you want to witness go to a STD clinic.

I am 3 or 4 times a year in the Hudklinik" STI clinic & I see none of this. If some people are mentally affected then is only because of the taboo & hysteria that is stokes up & the same regrets & mental trauma will be seen by people who are victims of accidents caused by normal daily activites which is far more likely... Should they therefore never venture out of the house because that would avoid that risk? Several times I have had stds & a minor inconvenience with full recovery in a few days ,much less so than a common cold which can take in some cases up to a month before 100%...

technoviking,

Please consider 'Tigerwoods' story'! The consequences of his adultry brought many issues: to society,his wife, his children, his friends,him self, the whole world for that matter. Sex is something sacred and should be enjoyed ONLY between husband and wife. Whether we like it or not, people who exercise it outside marriage are not really HAPPY.

@ update-2011

"Whether we like it or not, people who exercise it outside marriage are not really HAPPY. "

Oh really?

Because I certainly had a hell of a good time and was VERY happy having lots of casual sex when I was single. And so were all of my single friends.

Of course I wasn't brainwashed by religious tightwads trying to guilt trip me into a false sense of shame and I used protection.

Casual sex between adult single people is not the same as adultery which involves betraying your loved one, so your comparison is ridiculous.

We need more social workers to follow the guys around and be their personal condom installer. Just more self indulgence.

Yes, I would say that casual sex is very common throughout Sweden, and this obviously seems to be a hot topic and raise a lot of feelings… I'm not surprised though, since there are a diversity of religions and traditions around the world with different views of sex, marriages and sexuality.

Well, there are two main discussions here; first, whether or not you should have sex before marriage, and second, whether or not it is okay to have sex without condom. The thing I want to highlight is the freedom of choice. First of all I think it's up to each and every person to decide if they want to have sex before marriage or not. It's also up to the actual sex partners to decide if they want to use condoms or not when having casual sex. It's not anyone else's business. As long as their choice doesn't hurt someone else.

As an unmarried Swedish girl, I choose to have casual sex occasionally when I'm not in a relationship, just for the simple reason that I love having sex. For me, sex is as natural as eating and sleeping, and I could not live without it. Sex makes you feel good and happy since endorphins are released in the body during sex. Humans and dolphins, I think, are the only animals that have sex not only for reproductive purposes but for the pleasure as well.

So, the issue with condoms… I would say that the main reason why a lot of Swedish people prefer not to use condoms is for the simple fact that it's much more pleasurable to have sex without. As a female, I think I can speak for every woman when I say that sex is absolutely much more enjoyable without condom. For girls, having sex with condoms can be very unpleasant and even painful, unfortunately.

So personally I prefer not using condom, and I think it's okay to have sex without condom as long as both sex partners know that they are 'clean' when having the sex.

For this to work however - to avoid big breakouts of STDs - it relies on people taking their responsibility to test themselves frequently for STDs, and people being honest about earlier sexual relations when having a new sex partner. If you are not tested, you should use condoms until you tested yourself and know that you are 'clean', to avoid the risk of spreading a STD. Then it's of course up to every and each person to be sensible when making the decision of using condom or not with a person you just met. If you feel unsure about your temporary sex partner you should of course protect yourself.

By the way, I want to give a compliment to Swedish men that generally are very good at pleasuring us girls when having sex, even when having casual sex and one night stands. Tummen upp för er! This is sadly not always the case around the world. I've realised that a lot of men are very selfish when it comes to sex, and just care about their own pleasure. So boring! Men that care and make an effort pleasuring us girls are the best in bed, no matter size. :)

That last comment was good by 'swedish girl'.

As usual though on the comments section of the 'Local' stories there is so much rubbish being spouted. I mean, really, it is shocking how bad some of these comments are. Are some of these people for real or what?

Read, learn, experience, educate yourself, have a thoughtful discussion. I wonder if that'll ever happen anywhere on this website?

People are so eager to offend from a keyboard. Probably not having enough casual sex.

technoviking

OK! but it depends on how you definde HAPPINESS.

We need to work hard to push that figure up to 100%

Next October, I'm going to be 30 year old man but still I never sex with anybody. But I'm happy in my life and also proud of it. I will only sex with my legal wife. I think, one can get the tranquility in having sex with only a legal husband/wife; not with others.

@avery1204: Thanks. I could not agree with you more, some of the comments here are just ridiculous. Of course it's okay to have different views and opinions on what is right and wrong in these questions, as long as you let other people live their life the way they want to without trying to indoctrinate them into your beliefs. Haha you might be right, maybe some casual sex would get them on better thoughts. It's amazing what some sex can do for you! Think this will be the first and last time I read anything from the Local anyway. I'll just stick to Dagens Nyheter in the future, some of their articles occasionally have some really interesting and enlightening comments.

@Philster61: I find your comment "...Obviously Hasham you are misplaced so why don't you leave and head back to the desert where you belong..." clearly racist. Hasham, I apologize on his behalf.

@Maruf: As long as you are happy and satisfied with you're decision to not have sex until you get married, that's great! And I respect your belief that you can only get the tranquility in having sex with your legal husband or wife. As long as you also respect others who make other decisions and have other opinions.

In Sweden, some couples live in life-long relationships without getting married, it's not uncommon! Remember that Sweden has a high percentage of atheists, so Swedes may not feel the need to be united in marriage in front of any specific God. Other couples decide not to get married just because they don't feel a need to be legally married. They live like husband and wife anyways, and know that they are partners for life. Furthermore, weddings in Sweden can be horribly expensive!

Just one last thing. I know I ended my last comment with a compliment to Swedish men. I'd also like to take this opportunity to give you a bit of critisism as well: Although we women love you, many of us think you guys should be better at testing yourselves for STDs, especially if you have a habit of having sex without using condoms. Make it a routine! It's not just the girls' responsibility to test themselves and be sure they are free from diseases. If you guys don't test yourself as well, STDs will just continue to spread. When it comes to Chlamydia for example, guys are usually infected without having any symptoms, so you can easily spread it to other girls without knowing (unfortunately I know from personal experience). Be honest with us and be responsible. It's just a urine test, how bad can it be! You can even order a test online for free. :) Cheers!

"By the way, I want to give a compliment to Swedish men that generally are very good at pleasuring us girls when having sex, even when having casual sex and one night stands. Tummen upp för er! This is sadly not always the case around the world."

well no wonder commenters are quick to agree with you Swedish girl, because they are Swedish men and you just praised them. And how exactly are you qualified to know that "sadly this is not always the case around the world" - unless you have 3 billion non Swedish men and have averaged out the good and the bad sexual partners, I doubt you have any knowledge on the sexual prowess of foreign men.

And Swedish girl, with your last comment, I bet you'll be hiding your history from your poor future husband!!!

Scandinavians are always more wild idea for free sex than Japanese..... difficult to understanding their royalty for their partners or marriage.

to The Local News Crew...please the owners of this site should employ some of these guys who are blowing this BIG--BIG grammer to be writing our news SAR.the grammer here is very sweet the british man will need an interpreter.

This are real

English,english people here today.Your writers are writing in pidgin.

Thanks for co.operation Sar.