SeriesSexual behaviour in context: a global perspective
Section snippets
Cross-national comparisons
We compare data for entire countries (panel 2 and table 1) and in so doing we pay less attention to the substantial variability within countries. Our choice of indicators shows a concern with sexual health and human rights, but is also determined by availability of comparable data. Age at sexual initiation is of public health interest, since early initiation is more likely to be non-consensual and to be subsequently regretted,31, 32, 33 less likely to be protected against unplanned pregnancy
Explanations for the variation
The regional variation in sexual behaviour underlines the powerful role of environmental factors in shaping behaviour and its consequences for sexual health. Through the interplay between demographic and structural factors, social norms, and public policies, spatial differences can be properly understood. One of the most notable features of the data, for example, is the striking gender difference in sexual behaviour. Women might be disadvantaged in protecting their sexual health if their
Interventions to improve sexual health
With the diversity of sexual behaviour, a range of preventive strategies are needed to protect sexual health. And in view of the importance of the broader determinants on sexual behaviour, approaches focusing exclusively on expectations of individual behaviour change are unlikely to produce substantial improvements in sexual-health status. They are especially inappropriate to poor country circumstances, where sex is more likely to be tied to livelihoods, duty, and survival,78 and where
Conclusions
This is the first time an attempt has been made to bring together comprehensive survey data for sexual behaviour from around the world. The data show perhaps less change over time than might have been supposed. People who fear a tide of youthful promiscuity might take heart from the fact that trends towards early and premarital sex are neither as pronounced nor as prevalent as is sometimes assumed. Similarly, the apparent absence of an association between regional variations in sexual behaviour
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