1. Gender, sexual orientation and the desire to form lasting romantic relationships determine the sexual risks young adults are willing to take.
Heterosexual men are more likely to agree to unprotected sex despite being aware of the associated risks. They also prefer more passive tactics when it comes to negotiating the use of condoms.
Heterosexual women are more assertive and employ tactics such as withholding sex to avoid unprotected sex.
Of the three groups studied, the third (which includes gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men) tend to be more open to discussion about condom use and averse to confrontational tactics.
Source: Journal of Sex Research, March issue
2. Women are better at judging whether or not a man will be unfaithful.
Women are more capable of judging whether or not a man is likely to be unfaithful simply by looking at his face. Men are capable of assessing other men's likelihood of cheating but less capable of spotting a woman who is likely to cheat.
Source: the journal Royal Society Open Science, April issue
3. Men are more likely to be sexually aggressive if they frequent bars and parties.
The combination of alcohol and the setting in which the drinking takes place increases the number of aggressive tactics employed by men against women. The group of 1,000 college men studied were found to favour sex without commitment and numerous sexual partners.
Source: Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, April issue