The truth about teenage sex

Most boys probably agree that the more sex you have, the better. Whether I use a condom depends a lot on the girl. If she's got a reputation, I'm much more wary, but you can tell from a girl's demeanour - the way she dresses, acts and talks - whether she sleeps around with boys.

I've heard the figures [in the past five years alone, cases of chlamydia have increased by more than 70 per cent and gonorrhoea by 86 per cent] - but sex is much more enjoyable without a condom. If I have one, I'll use it. If I don't, then I won't, as long as the girl is okay with it. I won't discuss it with her, I suppose I'll just try my luck and see if she stops me. I've heard about the increase in sexually transmitted diseases but I don't think it applies to me. I go for classy girls and as long as they're not sleeping with every Tom, Dick and Harry then I think it's fine.

We had sex education at school, but it was stuff like animated videos of erections and was just funny. I grew up with four sisters in south London. They are very open about sex, which was helpful to me, but my parents are not comfortable speaking about sex.

At the moment I'm seeing a girl called Arabella and we have sex pretty much every day. We used a condom the first three times, but one time we didn't have any. I asked her if we could do it without and she said it was okay. I didn't ask her if she was on the Pill - although it turns out she is - because I thought it was a personal question.

I did ask her how many people she's slept with and she said two, but I didn't ask if they had used condoms. Maybe I should have but I feel it's none of my business.

I lost my virginity at 14, at a party at a friend's house. We were all quite drunk and I ended up upstairs with the ex-girlfriend of a friend. I didn't tell her it was my first time because I was too embarrassed.

She didn't mention using a condom so I guess she wasn't worried about pregnancy. We didn't use a condom because there were none around, but I didn't think about catching anything. I knew in theory that I should have worn protection to avoid STDs and pregnancy, but the sooner I lost my virginity, the better. I didn't care who it was with. I wasn't worried the next morning. I just thought: "Yes! It's over and done with."

The second time I had sex it was with a girl of 14 and we didn't use a condom. I know we should have, but there were none in the house and I couldn't be bothered to get dressed to go and buy some. I didn't think about the risks. I'm less likely to worry about a girl getting pregnant if it's a one-night stand because I know I'll never see her again.

The year after that a friend of mine got gonorrhoea, and that was a bit of a wake-up call. These days I try to have condoms with me all the time.

I guess Aids is the big worry and I know I'm at risk when I don't wear a condom, but it's a bit like smoking - people do it even though they know they could get cancer. I've never had an STD or been tested for one. I would have a test if I felt the need to, like if I found a lump or felt that something was wrong. But it would be unrealistic to have a test every time I don't use a condom.

I slept with the third girl when I was 15. It was her first time and I knew she would want to use a condom so I made sure I had one on me. I really liked her, but it didn't work out, so it was a one-off.

If I really like someone I want to spend time with them. But every boy's thought when they see a nice girl is that they would like to sleep with her. The fourth girl I slept with was really nice - we were both 17 and it was my first proper relationship. We dated for two months and started using condoms but when it became fairly serious she went on the Pill and we stopped using them.

Unfortunately, it did not last and I pursued another girl with whom I had a brief - protected - fling. I knew she had something of a "reputation" so I made sure I used condoms because I was scared I would catch something. Number six was Nadine. She's quite shy but recently I asked her out. I liked her a lot and wasn't even thinking about sleeping with her - just walking down the street with her was enough.

We went out three or four times before we slept together. I used a condom the first time but I didn't discuss it. I'm embarrassed to say "Do you want me to wear a condom?" because it sounds silly.

We used one the first three times, but after that I didn't think we needed to because she was on the Pill because of her ex-boyfriend. I didn't think about the fact that it meant she had unprotected sex with him because he's my friend and I know both of them are "clean". These days, I'm more aware. I'm studying as an IT student and I'm growing up.

My friends ask me all the time whether I've used protection and they give me condoms that they get free from the doctor. Even so, I know they have unprotected sex sometimes.

I would like to have a relationship with the right girl. I'm moving into my own flat and I want to settle down but, in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy myself - condom or not.