startling Government study reveals.

The hard-hitting "safe sex'' campaign is seen as completely failing to ram home its message.

And instead, an alarming picture emerges of promiscuous teenagers and young adults regularly bed-hopping.

Last night Health Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness labelled the findings "frightening'' -- and vowed to launch a fresh anti-AIDS offensive.

In the unique study, one woman claimed: "AIDS is rampant in Bermuda and once it gets to the young people it's going to spread like crazy.

"Believe me, I know -- everyone is sleeping with everyone.'' And another commented: "There's a lot of sleeping around. If you go away, you come back to find that your friends have all slept with your boyfriend.

Everybody has their turn with everybody.'' Young people agreed the AIDS message was not being punched home in Bermuda.

Said one: "It has to happen close to home, when you can see it affect someone. Then you believe it.'' Others felt the scourge was something which affected older people -- it was not a "reality'' among the young.

"The only people you hear of dying from AIDS are older, so you don't think it can happen to you.'' It was agreed the key to boosting awareness was education -- and putting AIDS on the school curriculum.

The findings among the 16-25 age group are bound to be a huge worry to Government. And they confirm the worst fears of Mr. Edness.

He had launched the study after discovering a large number of young people were at risk from HIV -- the virus which leads to AIDS.

"I find the results frightening. What comes across is that the family, and in most cases the mother, is the best person to communicate the dangers of AIDS.'' He added: "We have a serious problem that is going to take every ounce of energy and strategy from everyone with a voice of authority.'' Mr. Edness said the new campaign would involve, among others, Government Information Services, parents, principals of schools, and teachers.

The study, obtained by The Royal Gazette , was carried out for free by the Advertising and Publicity Association of Bermuda.

It aimed at uncovering the lifestyle habits of the young, and assessing their attitudes towards relationships and AIDS.

Another aim was to find out why sexually active adults ignored the perils of unprotected sex, and suggest how their behaviour could be changed.

Two groups of up to seven people, from a cross-section of society, were quizzed.

The research revealed most relationships started very young -- between the ages of 10 and 13.

But there is a yawning gulf between the sexes over what to seek from a relationship.

Teenage girls and young women felt steady relationships were very important.

And they agreed sex happened almost straight away -- bypassing the usual dating process.

Said one: "What guys want out of it is very different. A lot of guys are not for commitment, and they don't have to be, because they can get whatever they want from these young girls.'' Interviews with young males bore this out.

Many viewed relationships as important, but more so on a casual basis, lasting anywhere between a week and a month.

One likened casual relationships to candy, and long-term ones to food in a grocery shop.

"That candy looks good -- it looks scrumptious. When you need something sweet to satisfy, you go to the candy store; at the grocery store you're looking for something to last for a while.'' Another said: "The average male is not thinking of anything long-term as a teenager.

"If you meet a girl at a club or a session, you're thinking `I'm gonna rock my boots', then send her along and move on to the next one -- that's a casual relationship.'' All the young men agreed that "a man nine times out of 10 is not going to marry a girl that he's found in a club''.

On faithfulness, young men felt it was a hard ideal to achieve.

"Bermuda has a lot of pretty women. It's hard to stay in a committed relationship when you're young. When you're 17 you don't feel the same as when you're 22. There's a lot of children born out of wedlock.'' Women, meanwhile, felt many children were deliberately born out of wedlock.

It was a means of "holding on to their man" and making him "stay with her''.

There was unanimity among the sexes, however, on one point -- sex was important, and the ultimate in love. Abstinence was unrealistic.

"Being sexual is very natural. God gave us these feelings. The challenge is to know when they should be used,'' one woman commented.

Everybody agreed responsibility went with sex -- such as protection from disease and contraception to avoid pregnancy.

But there was also a strong belief Bermuda's youth did not practice safe sex.

Several felt safe sex was not essential -- despite the threat of AIDS and hepatitis. Some believed condoms were no protection.

A common opinion was: "When you're in a long-term relationship you'll use protection for the first month or so, and then, once you don't show any signs, you forget to use condoms. People don't understand the intricacies of the disease.'' One female said: "I have two friends and they sleep with everybody. I tease them that they can get AIDS, and that they'll get big sores on their face and everything.

"They just say `you're crazy -- look at him! We know he doesn't have AIDS'.

That's just the mentality out there.'' Most of those interviewed said they had never known anyone with AIDS or HIV.

And they said they had been taught little or nothing about the disease at school.

The view was: "Nobody takes AIDS as serious as they should. That's all ages.

But with the youth, they just don't consider that it's a reality. The only people you hear dying from AIDS are older, so you don't think it can happen to you.'' Asked why youths were so promiscuous, fingers were pointed at parents.

One youth summed it up: "Children need to be nurtured by their parents from birth.

"I know people who forget to pick up their kids from sitters. It's because of the parents that these kids are in the situation they are, in a lot of cases.

It all starts with them.''