Italy: Book challenges sexual myths

Rome, 24 Feb.(AKI) - Despite their reputation as passionate Latin lovers, Italians only have sex about seven times a month and most condemn infidelity, according to a new book. The book entitled "Italian Sexuality" is a nationwide study by three academics - Marzio Barbagli, Gianpiero Dalla Zuanna and Franco Garelli - who surveyed 7,000 people between the age of 18 and 70.
The book to be published on Thursday was reviewed by the Italian daily, La Repubblica.
The average Italian male is 17.4 years old when he loses his virginity, about the same age as the their male ancestors who were born nearly a century ago, according to the study.
Italian women lose their virginity on average at 18.5 years of age, almost four years earlier than for those born between 1913 and 1922.
According to the book Italians are unfaithful to their partners but that does not mean they take bed hopping lightly.
Infidelity is unacceptable for 89 percent of Italian women and 81 percent of men, according to the study's authors
The idea of the Italian Don Giovanni is not backed up by the research which found that 80 percent of Italians have no more than three sexual partners during their lives.
Only 12 percent of Italian men have more than 20 partners. That compares with only 2 percent for women.
In the overwhelmingly Catholic country, churchgoers believe it is fine to have sex before getting married and 83 percent saying premarital sex is fine.
One in three practising Catholics says it's better to marry a virgin.
Masturbation is also a norm for 67 percent of practising Catholics if they are single, while 60 percent have had oral sex and 16 percent have engaged in oral sex, according to the study.