Sexual attitudes and behaviors of school students in India - grades 6-12

Journal of Sex Research, Wntr, 1997 by Minakshi Tikoo

Chowdhury and Gill (1993) reported that of their sample (716 Grade 12 students), 18.5% agreed that only prostitutes get AIDS, 11.8% agreed that only homosexuals get AIDS, 35.6% agreed that anybody can get AIDS, 67% reported that they were not the type of person to contract AIDS, 36% of the students believed that they could do little to protect themselves against AIDS, and 17% of the boys and 917, of the girls would actually risk AIDS rather than miss the chance of having sex with an attractive stranger. In another survey of 681 (17- to 22-year-old) students, 16.8% of the sample (28.6% boys, 4.8% girls) reported having sexual intercourse, and about half of these Students reported using a condom and experimenting with a same-sex partner (Chowdhury & Gill, 1994).

Tikoo et al. (1995) reported that older adolescents scored higher on reproductive knowledge and AIDS scales than did younger adolescents, but their knowledge was still limited. The maximum possible score on the knowledge scale was 15, and not one student scored the maximum. Performance was higher on the AIDS scale, with 33 students scoring the maximum possible 7 points. The average score on the knowledge scale was 4.19 and on the AIDS scale, 3.08. Boys scored higher than did girls on both scales.

Although teachers are crucial to the success of a National Sexuality Health Curriculum, many Indian teachers are opposed to the idea of sexuality education in schools. Even if a National Sexuality Education Curriculum becomes a reality, it may not change anything if the teachers do not want to deliver it. Srivastava, Nirupama, Chandra, and Jain (1992-93) reported that school teachers in rural India had limited knowledge about AIDS. Newspapers were mentioned by 60%, and 30% mentioned TV as the major source of information. Of the 182 teachers surveyed, 20% had not heard of AIDS. Many misconceptions regarding modes of transmission and the spread of disease existed among this group of teachers. The current study provides a preliminary report on the sexual behaviors of 10- to 17 attitudes and behaviors year-old Indian youths, the group most likely to be affected by the future spread of AIDS.

Method

Participants

The sample included 890 students from a public school in New Delhi, India. Grades 6 through 12 were surveyed. Each grade had eight sections of which four were selected randomly. The data were collected in July 1994. I administered the questionnaire in each classroom. At the beginning of each questionnaire-administration session, the aims of the survey and reason the respondents had been selected were explained. The students were asked to consult me if they had any problems or questions. The students were assured anonymity and were free to refuse to answer the questionnaire or any particular question(s) that they thought were invasive. Each class took approximately two class periods to complete the questionnaire (1 hour and 10 minutes). As a result of an expressed need, students were given a telephone number where they could receive anonymous information regarding human sexuality and AIDS.