SUMMARY :
After people are clothed and fed, then they think about sex."
K’ung Fu-Tzu (Confucius) 551-479 B.C.
There are international similarities
and some surprising differences regarding human sexual behaviour – from country
to country and between different ages, genders and cultures – which raise
economic, political, public, moral and legal issues. Key comparative indicators
of global sexual practices include laws, attitudes and censorship ; the business
and economics of sex ; availability of sex education and counselling ; rates of
marriage, divorce, and adultery ; reproductive health, safe sex and cloning ;
sexually transmitted infections ; religious attitudes ; and sex crimes such as
rape, harassment and stalking. Quantitative epidemiological data, necessary for
international comparisons and for planning health and sexology services, are hard
to find. An important next step is for collection and collation of comprehensive
sex statistics, worldwide standardisation of definitions, and a central depository
and information centre for global sexology data.