Soonchunhyang University gynecologist Lee Im-sun on Thursday announced the results of a survey of the sexual attitudes among Korea's young women conducted in March and April by of 400 unmarried women -- high school graduates and above -- between the ages of 17 and 25.

Some 44 of the women were high school students, 216 were university students, 91 were employed and 49 were unemployed.

According to the poll results, 34 percent (136 women) of the respondents were sexually experienced, while one in five had sex regularly, meaning three times a month or more.

Among respondents with jobs, 58 percent (53 women) were sexually experienced, and 40 percent were having regular sexual relations with a member of the opposite sex. Working respondents had sex an average of 3.6 times a month, or roughly once a week.

Five percent of high school girls and 15 percent of university students said they have a friend of the opposite sex with whom they regularly have sexual relations.

Only 3.6 in 10 said they practice birth control, indicating a poor understanding of birth control in the age group. Among the sexually experienced unmarried working women, a round quarter got pregnant and had abortions.

"The survey results indicated that women in their 20s are defenseless against pregnancy,” Lee said. “If you have no plans to have children, you absolutely need to practice birth control."

(englishnews@chosun.com )