Premarital Sexual Activities and Awareness of Emergency Contraception: A Study of Men in

Tamil Nadu, India

Ramesh ChellanNew Delhi

INDIA

Objectives To assess the premarital sexual activities and awareness of

emergency contraception among men in Tamil Nadu, India.

To examine the differentials by the selected socio-economic, demographic, and community factors in the premarital sexual activities and awareness of emergency contraception among men.

To estimate influences of various factors on premarital sexual activities and awareness of emergency contraception among men in Tamil Nadu, India.

The Study Area and Data Source

• The study focuses on the Villupuram distirct in Tamil Nadu, India.

• The study covered a sample of 343 men in the age group of 18-54 years reside in 3873 households in Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu.

• The field survey was carried out between May 2007 and October 2007.

Sample Design for Primary Data Collection

Tamil Nadu

Villupuram

40 Households from each selected village (n=343 men of

reproductive ages interviewed)

DLHS-RCH-2 Sample villages (N=28) Selected 10 (n)

District

Village

Household

State

Out of 28 villages, 10 villages were selected by systematic random sampling after arranging then in ascending order by distance from the villages to the nearest PHC.

From each village, 40 households selected after stratification by principal occupation and male of reproductive age selected.

The Study Area

RAJASTHAN

ORISSA

GUJARAT

MAHARASHTRA

KARNATAKA

MADHYA PRADESH

BIHAR

ANDHRA PRADESH

UTTAR PRADESH

JAMMU & KASHMIR

TAMIL NADU

ASSAM

PUNJAB

JHARKHAND

UTTARANCHAL

MEGHALAYA

CHHATTISGARH

WEST BENGAL

KERALA

HARYANAARUNACHAL PRADESH

HIMACHAL PRADESH

MANIPUR

MIZORAM

NAGALAND

TRIPURA

SIKKIM

GOA

DELHI

DADRA & NAGAR HAVELIDAMAN & DIU

CHANDIGARH

Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu

N

Methodology

Bivariate Analysis

Multivariate Analysis Logistic Regression Model

Predictor variables

• Premarital sexual activities

• Awareness of emergency contraception

Explanatory variables

• Religion

• Caste

• Men’s education

• Occupation of men

• Standard of living

• Age of men

• Marital status

• Age at first marriage

• Travel from one place to other place

• Number of usual members

• Number of films seen (in month)

• Exposed to mass media

• Distance of village from district HQ

• Frequency of bus services

• Availability of school facility

• Availability of health facility

Findings from the Study

Premarital Sex among men, Tamil Nadu, India

Percentage of men has premarital sex

Percentage of men has premarital sex wth

Awareness of Emergency Contraception among men, Tamil Nadu, India

Men Aware of Different Locations to Get Condom

Location PercentageAt least one location 84.8 Public hospital 48.7 Medical shop 59.5 Non-governmental organisation (NGO) 0.9 Other 49.9Number of Men 343

Findings from Bivariate Analysis

Bivariate analysis for premarital sex and awareness of EC

Background Characteristics Premarital sex Awareness of EC

Religion Hindu Marginal

Caste SC/ST Marginal

Men’s education Illiterate 11 + years of schooling

Occupation of men Agriculture Agriculture

Standard of living High High

Age of men Marginal 40 +

Marital status Marginal Never married

Age at first marriage 21-23 24 +

Travel from one place to other place Marginal Daily

Number of usual members Marginal Marginal

Number of films seen 1 + 1 +

Exposed to mass media Full exposure Full exposure

Distance of village from district HQ 51 + 51 +

Frequency bus services 6 + Marginal

Availability of school facility Marginal Marginal

Availability of health facility With no health facility

Marginal

Table: ECTable: Premarital

Findings from Multivariate Analysis

Results of Logistic Regression for Influence of Socio-Economic and Demographic and Community Factors on Premarital sex

Has significant effect of• Premarital sex is more likely among SC/ST than OBC,

Occupation of men (agriculture labourers and cultivators) than other workers, men in the age group of 40 and above than 30-39 years, those watch cinema at least once in a month than who do not watch cinema.

No significant effect of• Religion, men’s education, standard of living, marital status/age at

first marriage, travel from one place to other place, number of usual members, exposed to mass media, distance of villages from districts HQ, frequency of bus services, availability of school facility, and availability of health facility.

Table: Premarital_multi

Results of Logistic Regression for Influence of Socio-Economic and Demographic and Community Factors on awareness of emergency

contraception among men Has significant effect of

• Awareness of emergency contraception is more likely among Men’s education (6-10 and 11+ years of schooling) than illiterate, high standard of living than low, those living in the village with < 25 and 26-50 than 51+, those living in the village with secondary and above school than up to middle school.

• Men in the age group of 40 and above than 30-39 are less likely to be aware of emergency contraception.

No significant effect of• Religion, Caste, occupation of men, marital status/age at first

marriage, travel from one place to other place, number of usual members, exposed to mass media, frequency of bus services, and availability of health facility.

Table: EC_multi

Conclusions• High reporting of premarital sexual experience among men in the

study area. Among those who had reported about premarital sex, majority of men had relations with commercial sex workers, unknown girl or women, and relatives.

• The study is also observed levels of awareness of emergency contraception is very high.

• The likelihood to have premarital sex is high among SC/ST men, those who are cultivator or engaged as agriculture labourers, men in the age of 40 and above years, and those who watch cinema at least once in a month.

• Men with 6 and above years of schooling and with high standard of living have significantly high awareness of emergency contraceptives.

• More attention must be given on informed choice of family planning, quality of care and information regarding safe sex. Behavioural change can be possible only through proper advocacy and counceling through public health system.

• The focus should be paid more to socially marginalized and illiterate population in the rural area who are neglected in health care services.

• More than half of men do not aware of condom is available at public health facilities, whereas condom is available free at public health facilities. The reproductive and child health programme should be provide awareness of family planning including condom among men through development and dissemination of BCC-IEC materials by grass root level health workers .

Ways forward

… Thank you