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CONDOM USE AT SEXUAL DEBUT AMONG CHINESE YOUTH

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 August 2013

WEI GUO ,
ZHENG WU ,
CHRISTOPH M. SCHIMMELE  and
XIAOYING ZHENG
WEI GUO
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work and Social Policy, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Nanjing University, P. R. China
ZHENG WU
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
CHRISTOPH M. SCHIMMELE
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
XIAOYING ZHENG*
Affiliation:
Institute of Population Research, Peking University, P. R. China
*
1Corresponding author. Email: xzheng@pku.edu.cn
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Summary

Chinese youth represent a high-risk group for sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies, but there is little understanding of their sexual behaviours. Using nationally representative data, this study examines the social and demographic correlates of condom use by Chinese youth at sexual debut. It also examines the relationship context of condom use at sexual debut. The results indicate that condom use at sexual debut is very low in China, confirming that youth are a high-risk group. The results demonstrate that age and educational attainment are the primary indicators of condom use. Early sexual debut associates with a greater risk of unsafe sex at sexual debut and higher educational attainment increases the likelihood of self-protecting behaviours. The likelihood of self-protection also increases when sexual partners plan their sexual debut or discuss contraception beforehand. The results suggest that interventions are needed to provide youth with better knowledge about self-protection.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 46 , Issue 2 , March 2014 , pp. 139 - 154
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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