Rise in casual sex among TN students

[Guest guest]

Rise in casual sex among TN students

DH News Service, Chennai:

There has been a marginal increase in casual sex among school and

college students in urban areas of Tamil Nadu, according to a survey

done by the AIDS Prevention and Control (APAC) Project.

The survey covering 13 high-risk groups was done between October 2006

and February 2007. The findings for categories like sex workers,

transgenders, truckers and factory workers, the study of youth, both

urban and rural says that involvement of urban male students with

casual partners has risen from 1.5 per cent to 2.2 per cent.

Similarly, 1.8 per cent of girls have casual sex (compared to 0.3 per

cent in the previous survey).

The survey says the boys' casual partners are generally school or

college mates. They start as friends and gradually get close, leading

to sex " whenever the situation arises " . Boys prefer casual partners,

not merely because they are " available free of cost " , but also because

of fear of exposure if they visit sex workers.

The survey is silent on how many boys have sex with their

girlfriends, or regular partners as they say. More than half of the

male students involved in casual sex have said they did not use condom.

`Trust partners'

Among condom users, the reason was HIV prevention in case of paid

partners and contraception for casual partners. Close to four-fifth

of female students involvement with non-regular partners reported

having had sex without condoms. Nearly 75 per cent of the boys and 80

per cent of the girls having sex with non-regular partners without

using condom did not perceive any risk of contracting HIV. The main

reason was that they trusted their partners.

Only 15.5 per cent of boys and 19.2 per cent of girls felt that

getting HIV/AIDS is a mark of shame.

A similar survey of male employed youths in slums shows that 25.8 per

cent had sex with paid partners and 22.5 with casual partners in 2006,

showing an increase in trend since 2004. Most slum boys have a high

preference for casual partners, especially married women.

Relationship with young unmarried girls, whom they have known since

childhood, was also common among slum youth.

As for male unemployed youth in rural areas, 98 per cent are aware of

HIV/AIDs risk and they also know use of condoms is one way of

preventing it. Like youths in cities, they also have misconceptions.

The most common being that having sex with known persons and children

and virgins is safe or cleaning the genitals with soda, neem leaves,

turmeric, ash or antiseptic helps prevent HIV

http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Sep192007/national2007091926021.asp