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Is Virginity a Matter of Dignity or a Lack of Opportunity? Exploring the Paradoxical Relationship Between Premarital Sex and Education Among Youth in India

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Abstract

Premarital sex remains a contentious issue in India, where cultural and societal norms often associate virginity with dignity, particularly for women. This study examines the paradoxical relationship between premarital sex and educational attainment among youth in India using data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21. Using multinomial logistic regression, the study explores how age, residence, occupation, religion, caste, and media exposure influence the likelihood of engaging in premarital sex across different educational levels. Findings indicate that higher educational attainment is positively associated with premarital sexual experiences among both males and females, with significant gendered differences. Males with higher secondary education exhibit greater engagement in premarital sex compared to those with lower education levels, while females with similar educational attainment demonstrate a more complex relationship influenced by socio-cultural constraints. Rural residence (RRR: 0.50, 95%CI 0.27–0.95) and lower socio-economic status (RRR: 0.40, 95%CI 0.19–0.84) are associated with reduced likelihood of premarital sex among females, whereas wealthier and more educated males are at greater risk (RRR: 12.03, 95%CI 3.09–46.89). Media exposure, particularly television (RRR: 1.45, 95%CI 1.1–1.9) and internet usage, significantly impacts the likelihood of premarital engagement, with non-users exhibiting lower relative risks. The study underscores the need for comprehensive sexual health education tailored to address socio-cultural diversity and promote informed decision-making among youth. Findings provide critical insights for policymakers and educators in developing interventions that balance cultural sensitivity with the realities of evolving youth behavior in India.

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Data Availability

This research work was performed based on secondary data which is freely available upon request at IIPS, India website (Source of data: http://rchiips.org/nfhs/NFHS-5Reports/NFHS-5_INDIA_REPORT.pdf ).

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Acknowledgements

This paper uses data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS). The authors would like to thank International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) for providing publicly accessible data.

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The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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  1. Department of Geography, Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, Odisha, India

    Ujjwal Das

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Conceptualization: U.D; methodology, designing the experiments and data analysis: U.D Writing: original draft preparation: U.D, writing, review, and editing: U.D. The author has read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ujjwal Das.

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All participants received written and oral information about the study prior to inclusion and gave their written informed consent to take part. The study was approved by Institutional Review Board from the International Institute of Population Sciences, In Mumbai, and was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Das, U. Is Virginity a Matter of Dignity or a Lack of Opportunity? Exploring the Paradoxical Relationship Between Premarital Sex and Education Among Youth in India. Sexuality & Culture (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10450-0

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