Factors affecting Premarital Sex among Nepalese Undergraduates 10.55131/jphd/2023/210213

Main Article Content

Anil Paudel
Awijit Neupane
Santosh Khadka
Laxmi Adhikari
Shishir Paudel
Maheshor Kaphle

Abstract

Premarital sex is considered a social taboo and an immoral act in Nepal. However, there is a widespread view that young men and women are becoming more at ease in each other's company and beginning sexual experiences prior to marriage, putting them at risk of the consequences of unsafe sex. This research aims to evaluate the factors associated with premarital sexual behavior and its consequences among Nepalese college-going adolescents and youths. This cross-sectional web-based study included 415 Nepalese students over the age of 18 who were enrolled in a bachelor's degree program in a discipline other than health science. Data was collected from students online using a self-administered structured questionnaire. Pearson's chi-square (χ2) and logistic regressions were used to examine the relationship between the independent and outcome variables. Most participants (61.7%) had dating experience and 21.2% had premarital sex. About three-fourths (76.1%) of participants had premarital sex before the age of 20 years and the ages of sexual debut ranged from 13 to 25 years. The major reasons for sexual debut were desire, curiosity, continuation of love relationship, and peer pressure. One-third of students (33.0%) reported having more than two sex partners, and 11.4% had intercourse with commercial sex workers. Among students who had premarital sex, 13.7% of participants or their sex partners, had to undergo abortions because of unintended pregnancies. Having an illiterate parent (AOR=11.0; 95% CI=2.01-60.87), high pocket money (AOR=4.2; 95% CI=1.1-16.2), increased dating culture (AOR=18.8; 95% CI=4.8-74.2), a close friend who has experienced premarital sex (AOR=5.2; 95% CI=2.21-12.21), and exposure to pornography (AOR=97.87; 95% CI= 9.5-10001.4) were predictors of premarital sex among Nepalese college students. This demonstrates the importance of sex and relationship education programs led by qualified peer educators in educating young people about safe sexual activity.

Article Details

How to Cite
1.
Anil Paudel, Awijit Neupane, Santosh Khadka, Laxmi Adhikari, Shishir Paudel, Maheshor Kaphle. Factors affecting Premarital Sex among Nepalese Undergraduates: 10.55131/jphd/2023/210213. J Public Hlth Dev [Internet]. 2023 May 8 [cited 2024 Oct. 12];21(2):152-67. Available from: https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/AIHD-MU/article/view/263497
Section
Original Articles
Author Biographies

Anil Paudel, CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal

CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal

Awijit Neupane, CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal

CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal

Santosh Khadka, CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal

CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal

Laxmi Adhikari, CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal

CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal

Shishir Paudel, CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal

CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal

Maheshor Kaphle, CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal

CiST College, Kathmandu, Nepal

Peoples Dental College and Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal

References

Regmi P, Simkhada P, Van Teijlingen E. Sexual and reproductive health status among young peoples in Nepal: opportunities and barriers for sexual health education and services utilization. Kathmandu Univ Med J. 2008;6(2 (Iss):1-5.

Regmi P, Simkhada P, van Teijlingen E. “There are too many naked pictures found in papers and on the net”: Factors encouraging pre-marital sex among young people of Nepal. Health Sci J. 2010;4(3):162-74.

Friedman HL. Changing patterns of adolescent sexual behavior: consequences for health and development. J Adolesc Health. 1992;13(5):345-50.

Buga GA, Amoko DH, Ncayiyana DJ. Adolescent sexual behaviour, knowledge and attitudes to sexuality among school girls in Transkei, South Africa. East Afr Med J. 1996;73(2):95-100.

Alexander M, Garda L, Kanade S, Jejeebhoy SJ, Ganatra B. Formation of partnerships among young women and men in Pune district, Maharashtra. 2006.

Li N, Boulay M. Individual, familial and extra-familial factors associated with premarital sex among Bangladeshi male adolescents. Sex Health. 2010;7(4):471-7.

UNICEF. A survey of teenagers in Nepal for life skills development and HIV/AIDS prevention. 2001.

Puri M, Cleland J. Sexual behavior and perceived risk of HIV/AIDS among young migrant factory workers in Nepal. J Adolesc Health. 2006;38(3):237-46.

Adhikari R, Tamang J. Premarital sexual behavior among male college students of Kathmandu, Nepal. BMC public health. 2009;9:241.

Adhikari R. Are Nepali students at risk of HIV? A cross-sectional study of condom use at first sexual intercourse among college students in Kathmandu. JIAS. 2010;13(1):7.

Upreti YR, Acharya D. Premarital Sexual Behaviours among Secondary School Adolescents: A Cross-sectional Study in Kathmandu. Journal of Health Promotion. 2020;8:39-52.

Sujay R. Premarital sexual behaviour among unmarried college students of Gujarat, India. 2009.

Dahal M, Subedi RK, Khanal S, Adhikari A, Sigdel M, Baral K, et al. Prevalence and Possible Risk Factor of Premarital Sexual Behaviour among Nepalese Adolescents. 2020.

Bhatta DN, Koirala A, Jha N. Adolescent students' attitude towards premarital sex and unwanted pregnancy. Health Renaissance. 2013;11(2):145-9.

Puri M. Sexual risk beheviour and risk perception of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among young factory workers in Nepal. Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA), 2001.

Ghule M, Donta B. Correlates of sexual behaviour of rural college youth in Maharashtra, India. East J Med. 2011;16(2):122-32.

Adhikari N, Adhikari S, Sulemane NI. Premarital sexual behaviour among higher secondary students in Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City Nepal. Sex Health. 2018;15(5):403-7.

Abdissa B, Addisie M, Seifu W. Premarital Sexual practices, consequences and associated factors among regular undergraduate female students in Ambo University, Oromia Regional State, Central Ethiopia, 2015. Health Sci J. 2017;11(1):0-.

Gyan Bahadur BC, Basel PL. Premarital sex behaviors among college youths of Kathmandu, Nepal. Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ). 2013;11(41):27-31.

Sendo EG. Premarital sexual practice among unmarried first year undergraduate students in Alkan University College in Addis ababa, Ethiopia. GJMEDPH. 2014;3(2):1-10.

Akibu M, Gebresellasie F, Zekarias F, Tsegaye W. Premarital sexual practice and its predictors among university students: institution based cross sectional study. PAMJ. 2017;28(1).

Zablan Z. Filipino Youth’s Views on Pre-Marital Sex and Unmarried Parenthood. Manila: UPPI. 2008.

Oljira L, Berhane Y, Worku A. Pre-marital sexual debut and its associated factors among in-school adolescents in eastern Ethiopia. BMC public health. 2012;12(1):1-5.

Mai V, Kittisuksathit S. Factors influencing pre-marital sexual intercourse among unmarried young individuals in Cambodia. Makara Journal of Health Research. 2019;23(3):4.

Organization WH. Risk and protective factors affecting adolescent reproductive health in developing countries. 2005.

Cernada GP, Chang M-C, Lin H-S, Sun T-H, Cernada C-CC. Implications for adolescent sex education in Taiwan. Stud Fam Plann. 1986;17(4):181-7.