21 Aug 2007, 0030 hrs IST
,Sonia Sarkar,TNN
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NEW DELHI: If the findings of a recent survey conducted in Maharashtra are anything to go by, Indian men are far smarter than women, at least when it comes to sex.
The survey, titled 'Youth in India: Situation and Needs Study 2006/07', shows that only 33% unmarried women know they can get pregnant with their first sexual encounter, as compared to 46.2% men. Again, only 55.4% unmarried women, as against about 95% men, have heard about condoms.
But even among those unmarried women who know about condoms, only a measly 18% knew of its correct use. Married women fared only slightly better — only about 39% of them knew the proper use of condoms in preventing pregnancy. Only 8.7% women said they had at least once used a method to delay the first pregnancy.
Compared to the women, a whopping 83% bachelors know to use condoms effectively while 90% husbands were also aware, says the study by the study conducted by the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS), a deemed university, and NGO Population Council.
More than 25% of the men surveyed said they had put off their first child.
"The figures reflect the overall trend that there's a huge lack of awareness among women and sex is still considered taboo. This is due to the low exposure women get towards sexual and reproductive health education. Men comparatively have more access to sources which tell them about sex, though not always the right source. Women still don't feel free to discuss these issues openly," said Shireen J Jejeebhoy, senior associate of the Population Council.
Lack of awareness seems to translate directly into the impact on sexual health — 30% women suffered from sexual health problems while only 4% men reported such ailments.
Forcible sex in marriages is also cause for concern — almost 28% women admitted they were forced to have sex with their husband, three times higher than their male counterparts.
The survey covered pre-marital sex as well, where about 18% men admitted they had had sex at least once before marriage.
Only 3% women admitted to pre-marital sex. Over 3% men also admitted to extra-marital sex. Over 25,641 households, including 12,225 (urban) and 13,416 (rural), in Maharashtra were covered in the first phase of this survey. The study will now be extended to the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu as well.
F Ram of IIPS, who's the project co-ordinator, said: "Our aim is to identify key transitions facing youth, including education and livelihood opportunities and experiences and identify the key factors underlying young people’s sexual and reproductive health, knowledge, attitudes and life choices."
The survey, titled 'Youth in India: Situation and Needs Study 2006/07', shows that only 33% unmarried women know they can get pregnant with their first sexual encounter, as compared to 46.2% men. Again, only 55.4% unmarried women, as against about 95% men, have heard about condoms.
But even among those unmarried women who know about condoms, only a measly 18% knew of its correct use. Married women fared only slightly better — only about 39% of them knew the proper use of condoms in preventing pregnancy. Only 8.7% women said they had at least once used a method to delay the first pregnancy.
Compared to the women, a whopping 83% bachelors know to use condoms effectively while 90% husbands were also aware, says the study by the study conducted by the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS), a deemed university, and NGO Population Council.
More than 25% of the men surveyed said they had put off their first child.
"The figures reflect the overall trend that there's a huge lack of awareness among women and sex is still considered taboo. This is due to the low exposure women get towards sexual and reproductive health education. Men comparatively have more access to sources which tell them about sex, though not always the right source. Women still don't feel free to discuss these issues openly," said Shireen J Jejeebhoy, senior associate of the Population Council.
Lack of awareness seems to translate directly into the impact on sexual health — 30% women suffered from sexual health problems while only 4% men reported such ailments.
Forcible sex in marriages is also cause for concern — almost 28% women admitted they were forced to have sex with their husband, three times higher than their male counterparts.
The survey covered pre-marital sex as well, where about 18% men admitted they had had sex at least once before marriage.
Only 3% women admitted to pre-marital sex. Over 3% men also admitted to extra-marital sex. Over 25,641 households, including 12,225 (urban) and 13,416 (rural), in Maharashtra were covered in the first phase of this survey. The study will now be extended to the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu as well.
F Ram of IIPS, who's the project co-ordinator, said: "Our aim is to identify key transitions facing youth, including education and livelihood opportunities and experiences and identify the key factors underlying young people’s sexual and reproductive health, knowledge, attitudes and life choices."
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