Irish teenagers attach little importance to "the notion of virginity", and feel that postponing sex until marriage is not realistic, according to a new study.
Research undertaken by the Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA) also reveals that full sex by teenagers is often not planned, with many young women saying they would consider an abortion if they found themselves pregnant.
The CPA study, involving 226 post-primary students aged between 14 and 19, concludes that the teachings of the Catholic Church are increasingly irrelevant to the attitudes of Irish adolescents towards sex.
It shows that most teenagers get their main information about sex not from school sex education programmes but from friends and the media.
The research says this has serious implications for the quality and type of information on sex which young people receive, and highlights the need for the increased education of students, parents and teachers.
The nationwide research was undertaken by the CPA as a way of trying to understand teenage sexuality in Ireland. It was carried out between October 2003 and January 2004 in focus groups. The study is to be published this week.
It reveals that while many young people believe virginity should ideally be lost as part of a committed relationship, this is not always what occurs in practice.
Others viewed virginity as a "weight around people's necks", with first penetrative sex simply something which needed to be "got over and done with".
While most of those interviewed were aware of the importance of contraceptives, many young women fear being categorised as promiscuous by carrying condoms. The existence of this "peer influence" partly explains why the use of contraceptives is inconsistent.
A perception among young men that condoms reduce pleasure and the belief that knowing someone reduces the risk of infection are also reasons for inconsistent condom use.
The research finds baby-sitting, house parties and family homes all provide opportunities for sex.
Young people would like more school-based sex education, including information on contraception and condom use, it concludes. Contraceptives should be cheaper and more easily available in places such as youth clubs and sports centres, the report adds.