Young People’s Attitudes Towards Sex

by City Chu, Mia Yao, Michelle Leung

If school sex education is doing its job, why are so many young people still turning to friends, porn, and AI chatbots for answers? A new Youth Hong Kong survey of 516 young people aged 18–34 suggests that what happens in the classroom and what happens in real life are still a long way apart.

The findings paint a vivid picture. More than half of respondents feel their school sex education was insufficient, especially when it comes to relationship dynamics, consent, and digital‑age risks. Friends and social media play a big role as everyday sources of information, but AI chatbots are now emerging as a preferred, judgment‑free channel for asking the questions that feel too awkward to ask adults.

Young men are more likely to let pornography shape their expectations of sex, while young women place greater weight on emotional compatibility and long‑term commitment. Two‑thirds of all respondents say that cramped living spaces and long working hours are major obstacles to their intimate lives. And despite high awareness of sexual violence, a worrying number of young people still feel unprepared to act if they or someone close to them is harmed.

Youth Hong Kong conducted this survey in collaboration with the HKFYG Youth Research Centre from 9 to 27 April. Of the respondents, 36% were male and 62% female, with 1% identifying as non‑binary. Around 30% are aged 18–24, and the remaining 70% are 25–34. Together, their responses reveal not just what young people know about sex, but how they are trying to piece that knowledge together in a fast‑changing, digitally saturated city.

The Classroom Shortfall

When it comes to school‑based sex education, young people’s verdict is lukewarm at best. Their answers point to a double shortfall: not enough content, and not the right kind.

More than half of the respondents disagree that the sex education they received at school was enough for them. About 43% say what they learned did not reflect their real‑life experiences. Almost half feel that sex education came late, arriving only after they had already begun to explore relationships on their own. Another 46% feel the timing was “just right.”

These sentiments likely stem from a gap between the biological and factual focus of current school curricula and the need for more complex, practical knowledge and interpersonal skills. While many respondents have learned about topics such as puberty (76%), safe sex (60%) and contraception methods (59%), they are more eager to understand the relational and ethical complexities of sex. The data highlights a clear mismatch between what school education covers and what respondents wish to learn, including love and dating, pornography in the media, sexual harassment, sexual violence, online dating and sexual transactions, relationship dynamics and communication, consent and ethics, and gender identity and pleasure.

Some respondents go further, asking for practical “survival skills” for navigating modern dating: how to prevent sex scams, understand the consequences of sending explicit images, and avoid being recorded without consent. Others highlight the need for inclusive, identity‑based education, emphasising that understanding gender, sexual orientation and self‑knowledge is not optional but vital.

The Education Bureau’s latest Values Education Curriculum Framework, released in April 2026, reinforces sex education as part of values education. It stresses that content should be age‑appropriate and adds that controversial topics – complex moral, ethical and legal issues, or areas lacking social consensus – should not be “rigidly” incorporated into the primary and secondary school curriculum.

The Information Mismatch

If schools are supposed to be the “proper” place to learn about sex, young people’s actual behaviour tells a more complicated story. There is a sharp contrast between where they believe they should get information and where they really do.

Traditional sources – professionals, schools, reputable websites – are rated as highly reliable, yet they are often bypassed in favour of more accessible, though less reliable, digital and peer‑based channels. Friends, for example, score just 16% on perceived reliability, but still rank among the top three sources young people actually consult, with 44% saying they have turned to peers for information. Pornography is rated the least reliable source of all (8%), yet more than one‑third of respondents (38%) say they have learned about sex from it.

School stands out as the only source where trust and use almost match: 46% of respondents consider school information reliable, and 43% have used it. This suggests that, despite its gaps, school remains a primary and trusted pillar – just not the only, or always the first, place young people go.

Into this mix comes a new kind of “teacher”: AI chatbots. Around 16% of respondents say they trust information from AI, and nearly 13% have already used chatbots to ask about sex and relationships. Strikingly, about 23% feel more comfortable talking about sex with an AI chatbot than with professionals such as doctors or social workers. Anonymity, 24/7 availability, and the absence of visible judgment appear to be powerful advantages.

Ray LC, Assistant Professor at the City University of Hong Kong, who specialises in human–computer interaction, cautions against over‑reliance on these tools. “AI is not reliable. It’s biased, inconsistent, and draws lots of information from Reddit and other unreliable sources,” he notes. At the same time, he acknowledges why young people are drawn to it: AI offers a private space to talk about sensitive topics like sex and can provide a form of emotional support without fear of being judged. “People are forming intimacy with AI because it’s flexible and integrated into so much of their lives,” he says. “The amazing thing is that humans are capable of forming relationships with non‑human entities because of the emotional support they provide, even when they offer so little physically.”

Gender Differences

The survey reveals clear gendered patterns in how young people navigate sexuality and seek information, patterns that shape what they expect from sex and relationships.

For the young men, pornography sits at the top of the information ladder: 58% of male respondents say they have learned about sex from porn, followed closely by social media and friends. For women, social media (56%) comes first, followed by school and friends. This difference shows up not only in where they learn, but in what they come to expect. About 58% of male respondents agree that exposure to pornography has shaped their expectations of a sexual encounter, compared with 43% of females.

Men are also more accepting of sexual activity at an earlier stage of connection. Around 27.5% of male respondents say sex is acceptable whenever there is a strong physical or emotional connection, regardless of relationship status. Among women, only 8.6% share this view.

When it comes to commitment, women are significantly more likely to say they would prefer to wait for a long‑term committed relationship (29%) or marriage (16%), compared with men (14% and 8%, respectively).

Intimacy in a Crowded City

Even when young people feel ready for intimacy, Hong Kong’s built environment often says “not yet.” When asked about the biggest obstacles to having a private or intimate life, more than two‑thirds of respondents (66%) pointed to physical space – living with family and in small flats – as their main hurdle. Long working and study hours came next, with 52% saying they are simply too tired or time‑poor to sustain a romantic or sexual relationship.

Money adds another layer of difficulty. Nearly half of respondents (49%) highlight the cost of finding privacy elsewhere, such as booking hotel rooms or Airbnbs, as a significant barrier. Financial instability weighs especially heavily on young men: almost 46% of male respondents cite it as a major obstacle, compared with 29% of women.

Sexual Violence

The survey also exposes a troubling gap when it comes to sexual violence: many young people know it happens, but still feel unsure what to do when it does.

Nearly one‑third of respondents (32%) personally know someone who has experienced sexual violence or abuse, yet a large number lack a clear plan of action. While 43.3% say they learned in school about preventing and dealing with sexual harassment, only 20.5% recall learning specifically about sexual violence. More than half of respondents (69%) say they would reach out to the police, friends or NGOs if they or someone close to them were harmed. Still, over 13% are not sure what they would do at all.

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1 = Strongly Disagree | 5 = Strongly Agree

Have you ever used dating apps?

What is/was your primary purpose for using dating apps?

I have received or generated AI-produced pornography (e.g. deepfakes).

I am aware of how to access sexual health services (e.g. STI testing) in Hong Kong.

Survey design: City Chu, Mia Yao

Data collection: City Chu

Analysis: City Chu, Mia Yao

The real lesson behind the numbers

by Lakshmi Jacota

What sits beneath these statistics is not just a story about sex, but about whether young people feel safe enough to be honest.

In school, students learn the mechanics: puberty, contraception, safe sex, but not the realities of modern relationships. So, they create a second syllabus from friends, social media, pornography and AI chatbots. These sources persist not because they’re reliable, but because they offer immediacy, anonymity and a lack of judgement.

Gender patterns deepen the problem. Many young men learn what sex “should” look like from porn and peers; many young women prioritise emotional safety and commitment. City life compounds this: small flats, long hours and scarce privacy make practising intimacy difficult even when partners agree.

Under these pressures, many respondents know someone who has experienced sexual violence or abuse. Yet a worrying minority don’t know what to do if it happened to them or a friend. Awareness has spread; action has not.

Seen altogether, the “aha” is simple: young people aren’t ignoring sex education, they’re finishing it themselves. Adults must do more than correct facts. They must build accessible, non‑judgmental spaces in schools, families, communities and policy that offer consistent care, shared values and clear plans to talk openly without shame, especially when things go wrong. ■