Individual, familial and extra-familial factors associated with premarital sex among Bangladeshi male adolescents

Background: A national survey found that more than one-tenth of unmarried Bangladeshi adolescents were sexually experienced and much of this experience involves high-risk behaviours such as unprotected sexual intercourse with commercial sex workers. However, very few studies have explored the factors that contribute to premarital sex among Bangladeshi adolescents. Methods: Data are from the 2004 Adolescent Reproductive Health Communication Midline Survey, a national survey in Bangladesh. Multivariate statistical methods were applied to identify risk and protective factors for premarital sex among Bangladeshi male adolescents. Results: Among 1048 unmarried males between ages of 15 and 19 years, 12.8% reported ever having had sex. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that, in terms of the self system, having plans to study in the future were associated with a lower risk of engaging in premarital sex (odds ratio (OR) = 0.38; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.25-0.59) while knowledge of reproductive health and life skills did not have a strong influence. Strong influences of both familial and extra-familial system were observed. Respect for parents' values and beliefs about sex was associated with decreased odds of premarital sex (OR = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.26-0.59). 'Ever talked with friends about sex-related issues' was associated with threefold increased odds and an increase in peer influence score was associated with increased odds of premarital sex. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that premarital sex among Bangladeshi male adolescents was influenced by numerous factors, and they should be taken into account in programs aiming to delay the age of sexual debut.