Indian Adolescent Sexuality: Sexual Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Among Urban Youth

With emerging westernization, there is growing concern about sexual promiscuity and changing attitudes toward sexuality. A questionnaire was administered to 182 adolescents from the city of Mumbai in the age group of 17–21 years in order to examine their knowledge about crucial aspects of sexuality and their source of sex related information. The survey also accessed attitudes regarding sex education, premarital sex and homosexuality, as well as sexual behaviors engaged in by the youth. Results showed that sexual knowledge about physiology of sexual response, conception, and pregnancy was less than other areas such as masturbation and contraception. Peers, books, and magazines were the most frequently used source of sex information. Boys reported more liberal attitudes and more frequent sexual behaviors than girls. Implications of the results in terms of access to accurate information, communication about sexual issues, and health policy reforms are discussed.