Links between premarital sexual behaviour and extramarital intercourse: a multi-site analysis

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Understanding the long-term patterns of sexual behavior in men is crucial for public health initiatives.
• Research has indicated potential links between early sexual experiences and later-life sexual conduct.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between premarital sexual activity and extramarital intercourse (EMI) in men.
• To identify specific premarital behaviors that predict EMI in later life.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from stratified probability sample surveys on sexual behavior in Côte d'Ivoire, Tanzania, Lusaka, and Thailand.
• Focus on male respondents aged 15-49, married or in a regular partnership, interviewed in 1989/1990.
• Used logistic regression to assess predictors of EMI, calculating crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals.

Main Results:

• Younger age at sexual debut, marrying outside of the initial partner, and a higher number of premarital partners were significantly associated with increased EMI probability.
• Adjusted analyses confirmed that age at sexual debut (Côte d'Ivoire, Tanzania) and number of premarital partners (Tanzania, Thailand) were significant predictors of EMI.

Conclusions:

• Premarital conduct, including age at sexual debut and number of partners, significantly predicts extramarital intercourse in men.
• This continuity in sexual behavior suggests that adolescent sexual socialization may be a contributing factor to later-life sexual conduct.