Language: English French. Apparent changes in adolescent sexual behaviours have led to debate in recent years. In October , on-line interviews were conducted by Ipsos Reid Ipsos Canada with Canadian teenagers 14 to 17 years of age and mothers of teenagers. Twenty-seven per cent of teens were sexually active at a mean age of 15 years, with an average of 2.

View the most recent version. Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please " contact us " to request a format other than those available. Sexual intercourse at an early age, having multiple sexual partners, and unprotected sex put teens at risk of sexually transmitted infection STI and of unwanted pregnancy.

The authors do not have any real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest to disclose. No honorarium, grant, or other form of payment was given to anyone to produce this article. Formal sexual education is a mandatory component of the high school curriculum in most Canadian provinces. The present study was a preliminary assessment of sexual knowledge among a sample of Ontario adolescents who had completed their high school sexual education requirements. A questionnaire, testing understanding of the learning objectives of Ontario's minimally required high school sexual education course, was distributed in a paediatric emergency department to adolescent patients who had completed the course.