BEIJING, (Xinhuanet) - A global study of sexual behavior by British researchers shows that because of the diversity of sexual habits worldwide there must be more than one approach to sexual health.

The study was published Wednesday as part of a series on sexual and reproductive health by the British medical journal The Lancet.

Professor Kaye Wellings of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicines and her colleagues analyzed data from 59 countries and found married people are the most sexually active, people are losing their virginity at nearly the same age as 10 years ago, and promiscuity does not translate into sexually transmitted diseases.

"We did have some of our preconceptions dashed," Wellings said, explaining they had expected to find the most promiscuous behavior in regions like Africa, which has the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases.

Instead, multiple partners were more commonly reported in industrialized countries where the incidence of such diseases was relatively low.

"There are very different economic, religious and social rules governing sexual conduct across the world," she added.

"There's a misperception that there's a great deal of promiscuity in Africa, which is one of the potential reasons for HIV/AIDS spreading so rapidly," said Dr. Paul van Look, director of Reproductive Health and Research at the World Health Organization, who was not connected to the study. "But that view is not supported by the evidence."

Experts say the study will aid in dispelling popular myths about sexual behavior and in shaping policies that will help improve sexual health around the world.

Researchers looked at published studies on sexual behavior in the last 10 years. They also used data from national governments worldwide. Wellings noted since the survey results were based on self-reporting, they could be susceptible to error.

The survey found that single men and women in Africa were fairly sexually inactive: only two-thirds of them reported recent sexual activity, compared with three-quarters of their counterparts in developed countries.

The study also found that sexual activity is not starting earlier than a study indicated 10 years ago.

Nearly everywhere, men and women have their first sexual experiences in their late teens -- from 15 to 19 years old -- with generally younger ages for women than for men, especially in developing countries.

Researchers also found that married people have the most sex, reporting engaging in sexual activity in the previous four weeks more frequently than single people. There has also been a gradual shift to delay marriage, even in developing countries.

While that has meant a predictable rise in the rates of premarital sex, experts say this doesn't necessarily translate into more dangerous behavior.

In some instances, married women may be at more risk than single women.

"A single woman is more able to negotiate safe sex in certain circumstances than a married woman," says van Look, who points out that married women in Africa and Asia are often threatened by unfaithful husbands who frequent prostitutes.

There is much greater equality between women and men with regard to the number of sexual partners in rich countries than in poor countries, the study found.

For example, men and women in Australia, Britain, France and the United States tend to have an almost equal number of sexual partners. In contrast, in Cameroon, Haiti, and Kenya, men tend to have multiple partners while women tend only to have one.