PART 1

CHAPTER III

SEXUAL SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AND FAMILY FORMATION

1.3.1.   Attitudes towards Sexuality and Gender-related Issues

In the traditional Armenian society, young people grow up surrounded by mixed messages about sexuality. For most of their lives young people have gotten the message that sex is hidden, and something you should not talk about in a serious and honest way. Parents and other elders in the family and community are finding it increasingly difficult to talk with teenagers about sexuality, contraception and safer sex and often cloud the concept of human sexuality which should be a natural part of every person’s being. By Armenian cultural norms and traditions, a woman should be a virgin until she marries and female sexuality outside the marriage is a forbidden issue. To date, there are no published national guidelines for comprehensive sex education of children in schools. The increasing urbanization, exposure to foreign cultures through migration, tourism, mass media, and changes in the standard of living have contributed to a change of the attitudes towards sexuality and gender-related issues, but these changes are progressing very slowly.  

We examined the attitudes of Armenian men towards gender-related sexual and reproductive rights, in relation to premarital virginity, sexual relationships outside the marriage, family formation and abortion. According to this survey results (Figure 1.3.1), the great majority of men involved in this survey (90%) expressed an opinion that a woman should be a virgin when she marries, but the man is allowed to have sex before the marriage (82%). The majority of men (94%) disapprove of sexual relationships outside the marriage for women (90%), and more than one half for the men (54%).

The attitudes of Armenian men towards a woman’s right to have an abortion were not consistent. More than one half (56%) of respondents disagreed with the opinion that a woman has the right to decide to have an abortion at any time, if the pregnancy is unwanted (Figure 1.3.2). The majority expressed their view that a woman does not have a right to decide on abortion, if her husband objects to it (65%), or if her decision is related to the lack of income (54%).

The majority recognized, however, that a woman has right to decide to have an abortion, if she is unmarried (64%), if her life or health is in danger from pregnancy or the fetus has physical deformity (52%), or if pregnancy has resulted from rape (53%) (Figure 1.3.3).

Most of respondents (72%) disagreed that care of children is women's work only, and about one half (49%) said that it is all right for a woman not to have children if she does not want to. The common view was expressed by about 73% of participants that there is a need for sex education of children in schools (Table 1.3.1.).

1.3.2.   First Sexual Experience, Number of Sex Partners and Marriage Pattern

According to the survey results, more than one half of men (52%) had their first sexual intercourse in their adolescence (Figure 1.3.4). The average age of men at their first sexual intercourse was about 19 years (Mean=19.5±3.17), while their first marriage was about 24 years of age (Mean=24.0±3.60). Thus, in Armenia the time-interval between the first sexual intercourse and the first marriage of men is about five years.

Most men mentioned that during the last two years they regularly have had sexual intercourse  (determined as at least 4 times per month). One hundred fifty nine men (11%) had irregular sexual relationships and three (0.2%) were not sexually active during this time-interval (Figure 1.3.5).

The replies about the number of sexual partners during the life-span varied significantly from 2 up to 50, with the average of about 6 partners (Mean± SD=5.7±11.1). Thirty percent of men mentioned that they had only one sexual partner and about 22% didn’t respond (Figure 1.3.6).

1.3.3. Family Size Preferences and the Actual Number of Children

We analyzed family size preferences of the survey respondents, according to the men’s replies. Table 1.3.2. compares proportions of men according to their ideal, desired, actual family size and current intention to have children. Almost all men (99.6%) considered as an ideal family size having at least two children and 98% desired this number at the time of their first marriage. At the time of this survey-interview 13% of men were childless and 19% have had only one child.

As it is demonstrated above (Figure 1.3.7), there was no significant difference between the average ideal and desired family size. However, an average actual number of children, together with additional wanted, was less then an ideal and desired numbers (p<0.00).

The great majority of survey respondents and their spouses considered as an ideal to have from two to three children. For the male partners an average ideal number of boys was 1.9, and of girls 1.5. Both spouses gave preferences to boys (Figure 1.3.8).

Currently, about 60% of men didn't want to have further children. However, some supposed that they might change their opinion in the future, depending on certain circumstances (Figure 1.3.9).

Table 1.3.3. demonstrates trends for the future childbearing. More than one half of the respondents (54%) decided finally to stop childbearing. The spouses or partners of about 10% of men were pregnant or thought to be pregnant at the time of this survey-interview, and about 27% of men wanted to have children in the future.

1.3.4. Determinants of Family Size