Maharashtra students casual about sex: Study

MUMBAI: Collegians today are morelikely to have casual sex with friends, classmates, neighbours and relativesrather than visiting commercial sex workers, according to a three-year study ofmale college students in Maharashtra.
Researcher Jayanta Kumar Basuof the Family Planning Association of India, who interviewed college students,observed that the proportion of students who had intercourse with CSWs declinedfrom 23% in 2004 to 3% in 2008.During the same period, the percentage ofstudents who had sex with friends and others increased from 11% in 2004 to 16%in 2008.
"Boys preferred friends to CSWs, as they had to spend lessmoney on sex. They also perceived a much lower risk of contracting HIV withfriends and others," said Basu.
The study surveyed students inleading colleges in seven districts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Thane andNagpur, in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Over the years, the students seemed to be assexually active as their seniors, and 36% of boys and 11% of girls admitted tobeing sexually active.
Basu considers the move towards casual sex"worrisome". Researchers learned during detailed discussions with the collegiansthat boys tended to disregard safety when they engaged in sex with friends andneighbours.
"Most students said they always used condoms whilevisiting CSWs as they have multiple partners. However, they believed that theirgirlfriends or classmates didn't have multiple partners and hence were under themisconception that they didn't need protection," Basu said. The study showedthat the few who used condoms with their girlfriends did so to avoid pregnancyrather than to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmittedinfections.
The study, which was based on the `Behaviour SurveillanceSurvey' of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) andconducted by the Avert Society was presented at the international conference on`Gender-Based Violence and Sexual and Reproductive Health' in the city onTuesday.
Basu said the study highlights the need for colleges tointroduce behavioural change communication programmes as existing programmestend to ignore youngsters as potential high-risk groups forHIV.
Independent experts too highlighted the need for more awarenessin colleges. "There is some awareness in colleges, but it needs to be scaledup," said Dr Balaih Donta of the National Institute for Research in ReproductiveHealth, Parel.
An official of the World Health Organisation saidvarious surveys showed that 10% to 23% of Indians indulged in premarital sex."But knowledge of HIV and pregnancy prevention isn't up to the mark," theofficial said, adding that it was up to parents, teachers and society to raiseawareness.