Factors Influencing Age at First Sexual Intercourse, Number of Partners and Condom Use among Male Slum Youth in Pune India

Rukmini Potdar, University of Maryland
Michael Koenig, Johns Hopkins University
Kristin Mmari, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Limited information exists about the factors that influence sexual behaviors among young, unmarried males living in Indian urban slums, a population with high vulnerability to STI/HIV infections due to their engagement in sexual risk behaviors. In this study 900 unmarried male slum youth were interviewed to examine the relationships between sexual initiation, number of sexual partners and condom use at first intercourse and factors within the family, peer and individual environment. Regression analyses found parental and respondent education, parental supervision, experience of physical abuse and peer drinking to significantly impact the age of sexual initiation and the number of life time partners. Condom use at first intercourse was significantly influenced among other factors by partner-type characteristics. These findings indicate that in low resource urban settings the influence of family and friends as role models can play an important role in determining the initiation of sexual behavior among male youth.