Discover how Spain’s second National Sexual Health Survey updates what we know about consent, prevention and sex education, who’s more satisfied and where public health must act , useful for educators, parents and anyone curious about sexual rights and safety.

Essential Takeaways

  • Rights-centred framing: Spain’s new survey follows WHO guidance that sexual health is positive, rights-based and needs accurate information and services.
  • Widening openness: Acceptance of same-sex relationships has doubled since 2009; more people report diverse attractions and less stigma.
  • Consent gap persists: 28% of women say they were pressured into sexual acts, more than double the figure for men, highlighting an urgent educational shortfall.
  • Prevention shortfall: Large shares did not use condoms at last vaginal (75%) or anal (71%) intercourse and 62% have never tested for HIV , practical weaknesses for public health.
  • Education demand: 91% of respondents want compulsory sex education in schools, even as delivery varies across regions and centres.

Opening the conversation: why this survey matters now

Spain’s second National Sexual Health Survey, carried out in late 2025 with over 9,000 people, lands at a moment when the World Health Organization has emphasised sexual health as a positive, rights-based concept. The report offers a vivid mix of progress and warning signs: people are more open about diversity, but prevention and consent lag behind. For anyone who cares about young people, services or policy, these are not just numbers , they’re the map of what needs fixing next.

Rights and reality: Europe leads but faces contradictions

According to the WHO and Council of Europe guidance, sexual health can’t be divorced from sexual rights, including equality, privacy and access to services. Europe is often at the forefront of those advances, yet Spain’s survey reveals persistent violations , especially around sexual violence and access inconsistencies. The contrast matters because rights on paper don’t always translate into safe experiences in bedrooms or clinics. Policymakers should treat education, contraception access and respectful care as linked parts of the same system.

Changing attitudes , greater openness, different expectations

One of the clearest shifts since 2009 is cultural: acceptance of same-sex relationships jumped to 88% from 41%, and more women now report attraction to multiple genders. People also report lower overall satisfaction with their sex life than 2009, and older adults report particularly low satisfaction. These shifts suggest changing norms about identity and intimacy, and they hint that emotional expectations , especially for women , now shape whether people choose to be sexually active.

Consent and gender gaps: worrying imbalances

The survey exposes a stark gendered imbalance on consent. Nearly three in ten women say they were forced into sexual activity, while a much smaller share of men report similar experiences. Men were also more likely to feel a sexual encounter should be finished once it has begun, a view held by a majority of male respondents. Those persistent attitudes point to an urgent need for targeted consent education, bystander training and campaigns that challenge beliefs about entitlement and sexual scripts.

Prevention and services: clear public-health gaps

Preventive behaviour shows troubling trends: most respondents did not use condoms in their last penetrative encounter, and 62% have never taken an HIV test. Meanwhile, nearly nine in ten people never sought sexual-health services, and men do so even less than women. These figures matter because rising STI rates across Europe, flagged by the ECDC, won’t reverse without better testing, easier access to contraception and normalized referrals from primary care. Practical fixes include routine opt-out testing in higher-risk settings, free or low-cost condoms in universities and clearer signposting to local clinics.

Schools and sources: where people actually learn about sex

Education still matters most. A huge 91% of respondents say schools should teach sex education in compulsory education, and younger people are most adamant. Yet delivery remains patchy: men reported getting most of their information at school, while women cited mothers more often. That divide suggests we need consistent, evidence-based curricula across regions and age groups that combine practical prevention skills with consent, pleasure and relationship education.

What to do next , practical moves for families, schools and services

If you’re a parent, start conversations early and focus on consent as a normal part of relationships. If you work in education, lobby for clear, compulsory, evidence-based programmes and teacher training. Health services should make testing routine, promote low-barrier access to contraception and fund targeted outreach where STI rates are climbing. And for policymakers, the lesson is simple: a rights-based approach requires funding, standards and consistent implementation.

It’s a small change in policy and practice that can make every sexual encounter safer and more respectful.

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