性行为的发展

考虑到现时艾滋病的流行和可能会导致非意愿怀孕，劝告未婚青少年延迟性交也许是理智之举，可是，从全球范围衡量，似乎越来越少有人听从这种劝告。世界范围看，青春期的年龄正在下降，而结婚的年龄却在提高。这种趋势尤其符合发展中国家的情况，这些国家现在生活着占世界青年人人口的85%。大多数青年人对这种正在延长的婚前性受挫（sexual frustration）感到愤愤不平。不幸的是，许多人对性传播疾病、生殖和避孕知识知之甚少，以至于不能做出负责任的选择。此外，青少年常常缺乏拒绝非意愿的性求爱（sexual advances）的能力和自信心。特别是年轻女性时常受到性辱虐（sexual abuse）。这不仅在于：在许多发展中国家，社会控制的传统机制正分崩离析，而且在于：当西方生活方式急切和常常未加批判地被采纳时，长期建立起来的宗教信仰和政治理念正丧失其影响力。继而，这种状态有时会激起极端保守主义的激烈反抗，导致人口中各阶层产生隔膜，并强化青年人的道德迷失。

2003和2050年各大区域青少年人口

柱形图所示2003年和2050年各区域的青少年人口（单位：百万）。如图所示，现在和将来，在撒哈拉沙漠南部非洲和亚洲/太平洋地区，青少年数量最多。（此处把10-19岁的个体定义为“青少年（adolescent）”。这个定义遵循人口统计学研究的用法；另外，在一般的表达里，“青年人（young people）”是指10-24岁的个体，而术语“青年（youth）”意指15-24岁的个人。）资料来源：联合国人口活动基金会（UNFPA）：http：//www.unfpa.org/swp/2003/english/ch1/

北美洲          拉丁美洲和加勒比海            撒哈拉沙漠南部非洲      North America            Latin America and Caribbean       Sub-Saharan Africa   欧洲   阿拉伯国家区域   亚洲和太平洋地区    Europe       Arab States region        Asia and Pacific

Adolescent population by region 2003-2050 

 The graph shows the size, in millions, of the adolescent population in various regions in 2003 and 2050. As one can see, the largest numbers, now and in the future, are in sub-Saharan Africa and in the Asia/Pacific region. (“Adolescents” are here defined as being between 10 and 19 years old. This follows the usage of most demographic studies, where, in addition, the general expression “young people” refers to individuals between the ages of 10 and 24, while the term “youth” means persons between 15 and 24.)
Source: UNFPA http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2003/english/ch1/

Stages of Development: Adolescence

Erotic Behavior 5

The advice given to unmarried adolescents that they should postpone sexual intercourse may be reasonable in view of the current AIDS pandemic and possible unwanted pregnancies, but, on a global scale, it is less and less likely to be followed. World-wide, the age of puberty is decreasing while the age of marriage is rising. This is especially true of developing countries where now 85 % of the world's young people live. Most of these resent the lengthening period of premarital sexual frustration. Unfortunately, many do not know enough about sexually transmitted diseases, reproduction and contraception to make responsible choices. Moreover, adolescents often lack the power and self-confidence to refuse unwanted sexual advances. Young females in particular are all too often sexually abused. Not only that: In many developing countries the traditional mechanisms of social control are breaking down: Long established religious and political doctrines are losing their influence while Western lifestyles are eagerly, and often uncritically, adopted. This, in turn, sometimes provokes an ultra-conservative backlash, dividing the population, and increasing the moral disorientation of the young.