Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Unmarried Youth in India: Evidences from National Family Health Survey, 2019–21

Abstract

Risky sexual behaviors such as engaging in paid sex, involving multiple sexual partners and unprotected sex enhance the risk of acquiring and transmitting STDs, including HIV/AIDS. Indian traditional norms value maintaining sexual abstinence before marriage. In contrast, over the last three decades, the growing body of literature has given corroborating evidences of the youth’s increasing permissiveness and involvement in premarital sex. However, there is a dearth of data on the prevalence and safety of these behaviors. This study aims to analyze the risky premarital sexual behaviors and their influencing factors among 15–29 aged, unmarried, sexually active youth in India. The study used data of sexually active, unmarried youth (between age 15–29 years) from the 5^th round of the National Family Health Survey (2019–21). Among the sexually active, unmarried women and men of age 15–29 years, 4.2% of women & 23.3% of men had more than one sexual partner and 17.24% of men had paid sex. When asked about ever use of the withdrawal method during intercourse, 7.68% of men and 9.91% of women reported its use. The likelihood of men’s involvement in multiple sexual activities was higher than women and it was consistent across the socio-economic and demographic characteristics. No or less education, alcohol drinking, spending more time away from home, early age at the first sexual encounter and seeing fathers beat their mothers are the influencing circumstances that increase youth’s risky sexual behaviors. Men who had paid sex and multiple sexual partners had higher use of withdrawal method, indicating multiple risk to STDs. The findings emphasize the urgent need to provide sex education and sexual and reproductive health services to unmarried youth in order to prevent risky sexual behaviors and its possible immediate consequences such as unwanted pregnancies, STDs, and HIV.