News Analysis India

Tag: National Family Health Survey

  • ‘Unmarried women least promiscuous, just one-tenth of bachelor men have sex’: Survey 

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Only two per cent of unmarried young adult women had sex in the last year compared to 13.4 per cent of men. Over 77 per cent of 23-24 years-old men never had sex compared to 95.3 per cent of women of the same age, according to the latest findings of the NFHS-5 survey.

    The National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21) also showed that more unmarried women practice safe sex than men.

    The survey, which studied single men and women in the age group of 15-24 years, showed that 1.3 per cent of single girls in the age group of 15-19 had sex in the last 12 months preceding the survey, compared to 4.4 per cent of men. 

    The survey, which studied over 6 lakh households in 707 districts, also showed teenage boys are sexually more active as compared to girls.

    While 0.9 per cent of teenage girls had sex as compared to 2.9 per cent of adolescent boys, it was 1.9 per cent for single women, who had sexual intercourse in the past 12 months in the age group of 18-19 years, the figure stood at 6.6 per cent for single men in the same age group. 

    For unmarried women in the age group of 20-24, the percentage stood at 1.9 per cent compared to 11.8 per cent of single men who had sex. Similarly, 1.9 per cent of women in the age group of 20-22 had sex, compared to men at 10.9 per cent.

    The survey, which also studied condom use among unmarried men and women, clearly found women went for safe sex compared to single men – whether they were in their teens or adults. 

    In the age group of 15-19 years, only 57 per cent of men used condoms, compared to 61.2 per cent of women. 

    The usage of condoms went up slightly for men in the age group of 20-24 years. While nearly 64 per cent of single men practiced safe sex, 65.3 per cent of women in the same age group used condoms. 

    The NFHS-5, which conducted the survey in this category for the first time in India, also showed that more women were virgins compared to men in the age group of 15-24 years in India. 

    Over 97 per cent of single girls in the age group of 15-17 and 15-19 were virgins, as compared to single boys, who were more active sexually in this age group. While 93.8 per cent of boys in the age group of 15-19 were virgins, the figure went up to 96.1 for boys in the age group of 15-17 years.

    Similarly, over 95 per cent of women in the age group of 20-24 were virgins, compared to men, which stood at around 80 per cent.

    Interestingly, women living in rural India had slightly more sexual encounters (1.5 per cent) than their urban counterparts (1.4 per cent). A similar scenario was seen among men too. About 7.5 per cent of single men living in rural areas had sex, compared to 7.3 per cent of men living in urban pockets.

    Men who were away from home were more active sexually as compared to women. While 10.7 per cent of single men had sex during their stay away from home – from one month to more – the figure was 3.4 per cent for unmarried women. 

    Key points from the survey

    Only two per cent of unmarried young adult women had sex in the last year compared to 13.4 per cent of men, according to the NFHS-5 survey.

    Over 77 per cent of 23-24 years-old men never had sex compared to 95.3 per cent of women of the same age.

    Teenage boys are sexually more active as compared to girls.

    Women went for safe sex compared to single men – whether they were in their teens or adults.

    Women living in rural India had slightly more sexual encounters (1.5 per cent) than their urban counterparts (1.4 per cent).

    Men who were away from home were more active sexually as compared to women.

    The fifth round of NHFS-5 (2019-21) was conducted in two phases in 707 districts from June 2019 to April 2021, covering information from 6,36,699 households. Further detailed information was collected from 7,24,115 women and 1,01,839 men in eligible age groups.

    NEW DELHI: Only two per cent of unmarried young adult women had sex in the last year compared to 13.4 per cent of men. Over 77 per cent of 23-24 years-old men never had sex compared to 95.3 per cent of women of the same age, according to the latest findings of the NFHS-5 survey.

    The National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21) also showed that more unmarried women practice safe sex than men.

    The survey, which studied single men and women in the age group of 15-24 years, showed that 1.3 per cent of single girls in the age group of 15-19 had sex in the last 12 months preceding the survey, compared to 4.4 per cent of men. 

    The survey, which studied over 6 lakh households in 707 districts, also showed teenage boys are sexually more active as compared to girls.

    While 0.9 per cent of teenage girls had sex as compared to 2.9 per cent of adolescent boys, it was 1.9 per cent for single women, who had sexual intercourse in the past 12 months in the age group of 18-19 years, the figure stood at 6.6 per cent for single men in the same age group. 

    For unmarried women in the age group of 20-24, the percentage stood at 1.9 per cent compared to 11.8 per cent of single men who had sex. Similarly, 1.9 per cent of women in the age group of 20-22 had sex, compared to men at 10.9 per cent.

    The survey, which also studied condom use among unmarried men and women, clearly found women went for safe sex compared to single men – whether they were in their teens or adults. 

    In the age group of 15-19 years, only 57 per cent of men used condoms, compared to 61.2 per cent of women. 

    The usage of condoms went up slightly for men in the age group of 20-24 years. While nearly 64 per cent of single men practiced safe sex, 65.3 per cent of women in the same age group used condoms. 

    The NFHS-5, which conducted the survey in this category for the first time in India, also showed that more women were virgins compared to men in the age group of 15-24 years in India. 

    Over 97 per cent of single girls in the age group of 15-17 and 15-19 were virgins, as compared to single boys, who were more active sexually in this age group. While 93.8 per cent of boys in the age group of 15-19 were virgins, the figure went up to 96.1 for boys in the age group of 15-17 years.

    Similarly, over 95 per cent of women in the age group of 20-24 were virgins, compared to men, which stood at around 80 per cent.

    Interestingly, women living in rural India had slightly more sexual encounters (1.5 per cent) than their urban counterparts (1.4 per cent). A similar scenario was seen among men too. About 7.5 per cent of single men living in rural areas had sex, compared to 7.3 per cent of men living in urban pockets.

    Men who were away from home were more active sexually as compared to women. While 10.7 per cent of single men had sex during their stay away from home – from one month to more – the figure was 3.4 per cent for unmarried women. 

    Key points from the survey

    Only two per cent of unmarried young adult women had sex in the last year compared to 13.4 per cent of men, according to the NFHS-5 survey.

    Over 77 per cent of 23-24 years-old men never had sex compared to 95.3 per cent of women of the same age.

    Teenage boys are sexually more active as compared to girls.

    Women went for safe sex compared to single men – whether they were in their teens or adults.

    Women living in rural India had slightly more sexual encounters (1.5 per cent) than their urban counterparts (1.4 per cent).

    Men who were away from home were more active sexually as compared to women.

    The fifth round of NHFS-5 (2019-21) was conducted in two phases in 707 districts from June 2019 to April 2021, covering information from 6,36,699 households. Further detailed information was collected from 7,24,115 women and 1,01,839 men in eligible age groups.

  • Women have more sex partners than men in 11 states and union territories in India: NFHS-5 survey

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Women on average have more sex partners than men in 11 states and union territories in India, however, the percentage of men who had sexual intercourse with someone who was neither their spouse or lived with stood at four per cent, much higher than that of women at 0.5 per cent, according to the NFHS-5 data. 

    The National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 2019-21 which was conducted among 1.1 lakh women and 1 lakh men showed that the number of sex partners on average for women was higher than men in many states and union territories. 

    Rajasthan had the highest number of women who had on an average 3.1 sex partners as against the 1.8 for men. 

    The other states and union territories are Haryana, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu.  

    But the percentage of men who had sexual intercourse with someone who was neither their spouse nor live-in partner, in the 12 months preceding the survey, stood at four per cent.  For women, the figure stood at 0.5 per cent. 

    The NFHS -5 conducted during 2019-21 surveyed 707 districts of the country from 28 states and eight union territories. 

    However, the percentage of young people age 15-24 who have had sex before age 15 has decreased insignificantly between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 for women (from 3 percent to 2 percent) and men (from 0.9 percent to 0.5 percent).

    The data also said that urban women age 25-49 begin having sex almost two years later than rural women. The median age at first sex is 20.2 years for women in urban areas, compared with 18.5 years for women in rural areas.

    In India, the median age at first sexual intercourse is 18.9 years for women age 25-49. Ten percent of women age 25-49 had sex before age 15, and 39 percent before age 18. 

    By age 20, 60 percent of women age 25-49 have had sexual intercourse. 

    ALSO READ | Preserving the gains revealed by the National Family Health Survey-5

    The median age at first sexual intercourse for men age 25-49 in India is 24.8, six years older than women. One percent of men age 25-49 first had sexual intercourse before age 15, and 6 percent had sexual intercourse before age 18. By age 25, 52 percent of men age 25-49 have had sexual intercourse. 

    The median age at first intercourse increases with schooling for both women and men. Among women age 25-49, there is a gap of 5.3 years in the median age of first sex between those with no schooling (17.5 years of age) and those with 12 or more years of schooling (22.8 years of age).

    The survey said that two percent of men aged 15-49 in India say that they paid for sexual intercourse in the 12 months preceding the survey. About half (51 percent) of men who reported paying for sex in the past 12 months reported using a condom during their last paid sexual intercourse

     Abortion

    A majority of the abortions were performed in the private health sector (53%), whereas 20 percent were performed in the public health sector. More than one-fourth (27%) of the abortions were performed by the woman herself at home. Sixteen percent of women reporting an abortion said that they had post-abortion complications, and most of them (90%) sought treatment for these complications

    Almost half of the women (48%) said that the main reason for seeking an abortion was an unplanned pregnancy, followed by her health didn’t permit continuing her pregnancy.

     Wife beating

    Wife beating has declined by 7 percentage points from 52 percent in NFHS-4; but for men, it has increased by 2 percentage points, from 42 percent in NFHS-4.

    Forty-five percent of women and 44 percent of men believe that a husband is justified in beating his wife in at least one of seven specified circumstances

    For both women and men, agreement with wife beating is lower in urban than rural areas and it tends to decrease with schooling and wealth. For example, agreement declines from 53 percent among women and 51 percent among men with less than 5 years of schooling to 38 percent among women, and 39 percent among men with 12 or more years of schooling.

    Agreement with wife beating is lower among Jains (24%) than among any other subgroup of men.

    ALSO READ | Show progressive mentality and criminalise marital rape

    Woman justified in refusing sex to husband

    The majority of women (80%) and men (66%) in India believe that a woman is justified in refusing sex to her husband

    Eight percent of women and 10 percent of men do not agree that a wife can refuse sex

    Domestic violence

    Twenty-nine percent of women age 18-49 have experienced physical violence since age 15, and 6 percent have ever experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. Three percent of ever-pregnant women age 18-49 haveexperienced  physical violence during any pregnancy.

    Spousal violence: Thirty-two percent of ever-married women age 18-49 have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional spousal violence. The most common type of spousal violence is physical violence (28%), followed by emotional violence (14%).

    Six percent of ever-married women age 18-49 have experienced spousal sexual violence.

    Trends in spousal physical or sexual violence: Ever-married women’s ever experience of spousal physical or sexual violence has declined from 31 percent in NFHS-4 to 29 percent in NFHS-5

    Only 14 percent of women who have experienced physical or sexual violence by anyone have sought help to stop the violence.

    Women participation in decision making

    Seventy-one percent of currently married women participate in making decisions about their own health care, major household purchases, and visits to their own family or relatives alone or jointly with their husband, while 11 percent do not participate in any of the three decisions. Women’s participation in decision making has increased since NFHS-4.

    Forty-two percent of women and 60 percent of men own a house alone or jointly with someone, and 32 percent of women and 42 percent of men own land alone or jointly with someone.

    Premarital Sex

    Ninety-seven percent of never married women and 89 percent of never married men age 15-24 have never had sexual intercourse. Only 2 percent of never married women and 7 percent of never married men age 15-24 had sex in the past 12 months.

    NEW DELHI: Women on average have more sex partners than men in 11 states and union territories in India, however, the percentage of men who had sexual intercourse with someone who was neither their spouse or lived with stood at four per cent, much higher than that of women at 0.5 per cent, according to the NFHS-5 data. 

    The National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 2019-21 which was conducted among 1.1 lakh women and 1 lakh men showed that the number of sex partners on average for women was higher than men in many states and union territories. 

    Rajasthan had the highest number of women who had on an average 3.1 sex partners as against the 1.8 for men. 

    The other states and union territories are Haryana, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu.  

    But the percentage of men who had sexual intercourse with someone who was neither their spouse nor live-in partner, in the 12 months preceding the survey, stood at four per cent.  For women, the figure stood at 0.5 per cent. 

    The NFHS -5 conducted during 2019-21 surveyed 707 districts of the country from 28 states and eight union territories. 

    However, the percentage of young people age 15-24 who have had sex before age 15 has decreased insignificantly between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 for women (from 3 percent to 2 percent) and men (from 0.9 percent to 0.5 percent).

    The data also said that urban women age 25-49 begin having sex almost two years later than rural women. The median age at first sex is 20.2 years for women in urban areas, compared with 18.5 years for women in rural areas.

    In India, the median age at first sexual intercourse is 18.9 years for women age 25-49. Ten percent of women age 25-49 had sex before age 15, and 39 percent before age 18. 

    By age 20, 60 percent of women age 25-49 have had sexual intercourse. 

    ALSO READ | Preserving the gains revealed by the National Family Health Survey-5

    The median age at first sexual intercourse for men age 25-49 in India is 24.8, six years older than women. One percent of men age 25-49 first had sexual intercourse before age 15, and 6 percent had sexual intercourse before age 18. By age 25, 52 percent of men age 25-49 have had sexual intercourse. 

    The median age at first intercourse increases with schooling for both women and men. Among women age 25-49, there is a gap of 5.3 years in the median age of first sex between those with no schooling (17.5 years of age) and those with 12 or more years of schooling (22.8 years of age).

    The survey said that two percent of men aged 15-49 in India say that they paid for sexual intercourse in the 12 months preceding the survey. About half (51 percent) of men who reported paying for sex in the past 12 months reported using a condom during their last paid sexual intercourse

     Abortion

    A majority of the abortions were performed in the private health sector (53%), whereas 20 percent were performed in the public health sector. More than one-fourth (27%) of the abortions were performed by the woman herself at home. Sixteen percent of women reporting an abortion said that they had post-abortion complications, and most of them (90%) sought treatment for these complications

    Almost half of the women (48%) said that the main reason for seeking an abortion was an unplanned pregnancy, followed by her health didn’t permit continuing her pregnancy.

     Wife beating

    Wife beating has declined by 7 percentage points from 52 percent in NFHS-4; but for men, it has increased by 2 percentage points, from 42 percent in NFHS-4.

    Forty-five percent of women and 44 percent of men believe that a husband is justified in beating his wife in at least one of seven specified circumstances

    For both women and men, agreement with wife beating is lower in urban than rural areas and it tends to decrease with schooling and wealth. For example, agreement declines from 53 percent among women and 51 percent among men with less than 5 years of schooling to 38 percent among women, and 39 percent among men with 12 or more years of schooling.

    Agreement with wife beating is lower among Jains (24%) than among any other subgroup of men.

    ALSO READ | Show progressive mentality and criminalise marital rape

    Woman justified in refusing sex to husband

    The majority of women (80%) and men (66%) in India believe that a woman is justified in refusing sex to her husband

    Eight percent of women and 10 percent of men do not agree that a wife can refuse sex

    Domestic violence

    Twenty-nine percent of women age 18-49 have experienced physical violence since age 15, and 6 percent have ever experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. Three percent of ever-pregnant women age 18-49 haveexperienced  physical violence during any pregnancy.

    Spousal violence: Thirty-two percent of ever-married women age 18-49 have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional spousal violence. The most common type of spousal violence is physical violence (28%), followed by emotional violence (14%).

    Six percent of ever-married women age 18-49 have experienced spousal sexual violence.

    Trends in spousal physical or sexual violence: Ever-married women’s ever experience of spousal physical or sexual violence has declined from 31 percent in NFHS-4 to 29 percent in NFHS-5

    Only 14 percent of women who have experienced physical or sexual violence by anyone have sought help to stop the violence.

    Women participation in decision making

    Seventy-one percent of currently married women participate in making decisions about their own health care, major household purchases, and visits to their own family or relatives alone or jointly with their husband, while 11 percent do not participate in any of the three decisions. Women’s participation in decision making has increased since NFHS-4.

    Forty-two percent of women and 60 percent of men own a house alone or jointly with someone, and 32 percent of women and 42 percent of men own land alone or jointly with someone.

    Premarital Sex

    Ninety-seven percent of never married women and 89 percent of never married men age 15-24 have never had sexual intercourse. Only 2 percent of never married women and 7 percent of never married men age 15-24 had sex in the past 12 months.

  • India no country for women? Here’s what the National Family Health Survey reveals

    Online Desk
    CHENNAI:  In the southern state of Kerala, during a counselling session at a Nirbhaya centre, a 17-year-old alleged that she was raped by at least 38 men over a period of four years. Around the same time, a survivor of child sexual abuse, who had been living in a private children’s home in Kochi, under the CWC’s protection, for two years collapsed and died. 

    A month earlier in December 2020, the state police had arrested 41 persons for sharing sexually explicit pictures and videos of children between the age group of 6-15.

    These incidents are from a state that has reported one of the lowest numbers of child sexual abuse cases, according to the National Family Health Survey (2019-20). 

    The survey carried out across 6.1 lakh sample households, and involving household-level interviews to gather information on population, family planning and health along with nutrition-related indicators, had significant pointers on how India is treating its women and girls. So, what does it reveal?

    In Kerala, according to the survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 1.6 per cent of women had survived child sexual abuse — a fall from 5 per cent of women in 2015-16.

    Sunitha Krishnan, activist and co-founder of Prajwala, questions the numbers. “In Kerala, the amount of sexual violence within the family is very high but it doesn’t get reported. If the cases come up then they will go through one-stop centers instead of making it to the reports in the police station. Given the circumstances, can we judge a state by the figures of the reported numbers?” she asks.

    Shockingly, a state known for having the highest literacy rate has only an 18 per cent conviction rate in Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act  (POCSO) cases.  

    Smita Bharti, executive director of Sakshi, states that when it comes to gender discrimination the lack of awareness remains high in the state.

    “Although Kerala has a high literacy rate, the gender equality index is skewed. Basic literacy doesn’t mean they are taught about gender equality,” she stresses. 

    ALSO READ | Most complaints to NCW came from Uttar Pradesh

    In all, among the 22 states and UTs surveyed, only six states and one Union Territory have reported a spike in cases of child sexual abuse. It was the rural areas in each of these surveyed states and Union Territories that reported a higher percentage of abuse cases.

    In Karnataka, 11 per cent of women aged 18-29 said that they had experienced sexual violence by the age of 18 — the highest in the country. 

    The eastern state of West Bengal reported the second-highest number of cases at 9.7 per cent. 

    While the northeast state of Assam reported 8 per cent cases, in the West, in Maharashtra, the cases rose to  6.2 per cent from 2.9 per cent in the earlier survey. Goa, Ladakh, Sikkim and Meghalaya reported 4.6 per cent, 8.7 per cent, 3.2 per cent and 6.7 per cent cases respectively.

    Interestingly, Bihar, where the Nitish Kumar government has prohibited the sale of liquor, saw a fall from 14.2 per cent cases in 2015-16 to 8.3 per cent in 2019. 

    Cases in Andhra Pradesh, Tripura and Manipur too fell — to 3.7 per cent, 7.0  per cent and 5.4 per cent respectively.

    The numbers underscore that in largely patriarchal India, where deep-rooted misogyny thrives, gender-based violence is often overlooked and gravely under-reported. Among other societal factors that influence such violence are those that create an acceptable climate for it. Women and children mostly suffer the psychological and physical trauma induced by their partners or families in silence, say experts. 

    Sexual violence is the most visible aspect of a general climate of misogyny in which women are always under the scanner for signs of immoral behaviour, feminist scholar Nivedita Menon had once written.

    “The shame attached to it forces women to not report acts of violence. Just because one state is reporting more that doesn’t mean that other states are not facing this crisis. Less than 50 per cent cases actually get reported. In some places, it is even lower than that. We can’t really look at the data and say that it is the actual representation. It doesn’t give us an accurate picture of what is happening in reality,” Bharti argues.

    When it comes to domestic violence faced by women aged 18-49 years, of the 22 states and UTs surveyed, a total of seven states and UTs reported a spike in cases in the Survey in comparison to the earlier report in 2015-16. 

    Over 30 per cent women have suffered from domestic violence in five states of Karnataka, Assam, Mizoram, Bihar, Telangana. 

    In Karnataka,  44.4 per cent women between the age 18-49 survived domestic violence. The data shows that about 40 per cent of women in Bihar, 39 per cent in Manipur, 36.9 per cent in Telangana, 32 per cent in Assam, and 30 per cent in Andhra Pradesh suffered spousal physical and sexual violence. 

    “The statistics are just indicators they can only give a basic understanding that there are states where more women are comfortable to report. In Bihar, in all probability, at one point due to the regime or otherwise, people had the confidence to report and then they must have gone through severe repercussions so they stopped reporting,” Krishnan says.

    The lesson from Bengal

    It requires not only awareness but cooperation from authorities for women to report gender-based violence. The silence of the people privy to incidents and victim-blaming attitudes contribute to creating a climate of tolerance, which makes it more difficult for women to report the atrocities inflicted on them. Lack of social and financial security adds to the misery. 

    “The safe space created by states to safeguard victims is the only way to get more people to speak up. The states with higher numbers are rather encouraging more women to report, that is one way to look at it. In recent times (last five years), enormous amounts of effort have gone into Bengal in targeting adolescent girls to educate them on gender-based violence. That created a platform for girls to speak up. This could be one reason why the state has the second-highest rate of reported child sexual abuse,” Sunitha Krishnan observes.

    Is the judiciary doing enough?

    Child sexual abuse survivors often withdraw cases due to the staggeringly long time it takes for justice to be served in courts. A prompt redressal is essential to encourage survivors seeking justice, experts note, while stressing that along with it the awareness too has to be created.

    “Even though we need a proper legal framework to provide justice to survivors of child sexual abuse, it is a very complex place to say what will provide a safe space. One can have a proper judicial system but the implementation and awareness for citizens to gain access to any kind of support is essential,” Bharti suggests.

    It starts with addressing the root causes of sexual violence in our culture. One way to educate women is through the strong network of ASHA workers, which the government had mobilized for nutrition, vaccination et al, she adds.

    What about caste-based sexual violence?

    Although the government of India, sampled a decent chunk of the population, the segregation of data on gender-based violence, charted out in three broad categories, missed out on the caste equation.

    Dalit women, who make up at least 16 per cent of India’s female population, are most vulnerable to gender and caste-based sexual violence. For Dalit women, perhaps the most marginalised section of Indian society, access to the judiciary is the first barrier to justice. Bhanwari Devi’s ‘Manney Nyay Chahiye’ plea before the Rajasthan High Court and the recent Hathras case in 2020 underscored our collective failure to address the caste-based sexual violence that has plagued Dalit women. The lack of acknowledgement in government surveys only exacerbates the issue.

    And workplace harassment? 

    Despite the enactment of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act in 2013, the survey makes no mention of workplace harassment, especially even after the #MeToo movement. Sexual harassment at the workplace was recognised by a landmark Supreme Court judgment in 2017. However, over the years, poor implementation of the law has failed women in the informal sector, most of whom come from socially and economically marginalised communities. 

    “Every workplace needs to have an Internal Committee (IC) and they are supposed to document the cases and report to the district collector’s office. If it’s for less than 10 people then it has to be reported to a local committee constituted under the supervision of the district collector. There is a formal and informal way of reporting harassment in which formal (complaints) get reported and the informal (ones) get resolved. The survey could have included workplace sexual harassment” Bharti notes.

    Interestingly, despite this lack of nuanced segregation and collection of data, activists suggest that we should not discredit the findings.

    Surveys are extremely important and they are bringing to light whatever is visible. What we need is an understanding of what is the tip of the iceberg. Educate young adults in the family and make them aware of how they can educate their families, suggests Bharti.