More than a quarter of India's youngsters have premarital sex

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More than a quarter of India's youngsters have premarital sex:

Source: BMJ 2001;322:575 (10 March )

Rohit Sharma. Mumbai

A quarter to a third of India's young people indulge in premarital sex,

a new study conducted by the National Institute of Health and Family

Welfare and suppressed by India's health ministry, has said.

The study, coordinated by V K Tewari, surveyed premarital sexuality

and unmet contraceptive needs among school and college students,

young working men and women, and young people aged 15-24 years

living in slums in Delhi and Lucknow. It concludes that premarital

sex varies from 17% among schoolchildren to 33% among young

workers in the typical north Indian population. Premarital

sex was more common in Lucknow than in Delhi.

A majority of the 3300 respondents who had had premarital sex

reported first having sex at age 16-18 years. The average age

for first sex estimated by the researchers was 17.4 years for

boys and 18.2 for girls. Sixty per cent of respondents said

that they had sex rarely or sometimes; 14% had sex frequently.

About a third of the respondents were found lacking in awareness

of unsafe sexual encounters. Three to four per cent had sex

with multiple partners. Interestingly, 30% of respondents (54% men

and 20% women) stated that, although they did not have premarital

sex, their friends did. Eighteen per cent of male respondents had

sex with strangers or commercial sex workers. Only a fifth of

the respondents experienced guilt after sex. Homosexuality

was declared by 5% of respondents.

A vast majority (79%) of the respondents agreed that liberal

mixing of boys and girls in the traditionally segregated society

promoted better understanding between the sexes. A greater

percentage of males (59%) than females (35%) in Delhi

stated that kissing, caressing, and dating had become common

among young people.

Unsafe sex was more common among less educated young people and

unskilled workers. The use of contraceptives ranged from 55%

among young workers to 75% among university students.

The percentage of respondents who never used a condom was quite

high 50% of females and 45% males. The use of a condom " always "

was higher among males (19%) than females (9%).

Overall, 46% never used condoms, 22% sometimes, and 17% always.

Although the researchers emphasised the unmet contraceptive need

of the youngsters, the study highlighted the need for sex education

felt by 70% of the respondents. The study recommended that the

reproductive health needs of young people should be given more

priority by opening clinics for adolescents and counselling centres

in schools, colleges, professional institutions, and working places

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