Chapter 5

Chapter 5

SEXUAL, MARITAL, AND REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR

5.1. First sexual experience and family formation

5.1.1. Results of the survey among young people

According to the survey results, by the time of interview the majority of young respondents have already experienced their first feeling of love (92% males, 70% females); more than one half (51%) of males and 19% of females have already started sexual relationships (Table 5.1).

Table 5.1. First sexual experience, by gender and current age

(Survey data, n=900)

Description/ indicators	Age distribution and gender
	Females			Males			Both genders
	13-19 years	20-24 years	Total 13-24 years	13-19 years	20-24 years	Total 13-24 years	Total 13-24 years
Number of young people in age cohort	413	126	539	284	77	361	900
*Have you ever had feeling of love?*
Number of questionnaires included in the analysis*	407	126	533	284	77	358	891
Number of respondents, which have ever been in love	276	101	377	255	75	330	707
Proportion of respondents, which have ever been in love (%)	68	80	70	90	95	92	79
*Have you ever had sexual intercourse or its attempt?*
Number of questionnaires included in the analysis*	399	122	521	258	76	334	855
Number of respondents, which have ever had sexual intercourse or its attempt	49	52	101	107	62	169	270
Proportion of respondents, which have ever had sexual intercourse or its attempt (%)	12	43	19	41	82	51	32

The great majority of young people (93%) have never been married, while 52 (6%) – were currently married and lived with spouses. There were 4 (0.4%) young people in consensual union, 2 (0.2%) - divorced, and 2 (0.2%) - widowed. Table 5.2 shows that 14 (3%) young women and 2 (1%) young men have been married in the period of adolescence. The proportion of ever married is more than three times higher among females, as compared to males (10% versus 3%).

Table 5.2. First marriage, by gender and current age

(Survey data, n=900)

Description/ indicators	Age distribution and gender
	Females			Males			Both genders
	13-19 years	20-24 years	Total 13-24 years	13-19 years	20-24 years	Total 13-24 years	Total 13-24 years
Number of questionnaires included in the analysis	413	126	539	284	77	361	900
Number of respondents, which ever have been married	14	40	54	2	9	11	65
Proportion of respondents, which ever have been married (%)	3	32	10	1	12	3	7

The evaluation of results of this survey indicates that 51% of young males ever have had sexual intercourse, while only 3% have been ever married (Figure 5.1). Thus, almost 48% of young men and 9% of young women below 25 years of age are involved in premarital sexual relationships. The proportion of females involved in premarital sexual relationships is more than 5 times less, as of males.

Figure 5.1 Gender related differences in the sexual and marital behavior of young people (Survey data, n=900)

5.1.2. Results of the survey among all respondents over 12 years of age

The retrospective analysis of data obtained from the total sample of 1800 respondents shows that the great majority of the Armenian females (83%) and males (94%) have their first sexual experience before they reach 25 years of age (Table 5.3). About 25% of girls have their first sexual relationship in their adolescent ages, between 13-19 years of age, and 23% of girls are getting married in the same period of their life-spin. In fact, only 7% of boys are married between 13-19 years of age. By the age of 24 the majority (80%) of females and more than one half (51%) of males start their family formation.

Table 5.3. Frequency and percentage distribution of survey respondents, by age at the first sexual experience and first marriage

(Survey data, n=1800)

*Age at first sexual intercourse or its attempt*	Gender of respondents
	Females		Males		Both Genders
	abs.	%	abs.	%	abs.	%
<15	2	0	53	18	55	5
15-19	184	24	127	42	311	29
20-24	460	59	103	34	563	52
25-29	107	14	15	5	122	11
30-34	18	2	3	1	21	2
>=35	4	1	0	0	4	1
Total responses:	775	100	301	100	1076	100
*Age at first marriage*	abs.	%	abs.	%	abs.	%
<15	1	0	0	0	1	0
15-19	170	23	9	7	179	21
20-24	413	57	57	44	470	55
25-29	113	16	45	35	158	19
30-34	22	3	16	12	38	4
>=35	5	1	2	2	7	1
Total responses:	724	100	129	100	853	100

The average age at the first sexual intercourse has declined in the recent generation of males and females (Table 5.4 and Figure 5.2). Girls who were born between 1988-1977, had their first sexual experience at the average age of 19 years of age (Median = 19), which is about 2 years less than the average for females born in 1976-1952 (Median= 21) and about 4 years less than the average for those born earlier (Median= 23). Boys who were born between 1988-1977, had their first sexual experience at the average age of 15 years of age (Median= 15), which is about 5 years less than the average for males born in 1976-1952 (Median= 20) and about 7 years less than the average for those born earlier (Median= 22).

Table 5.4. An average ages at the first sexual intercourse, first marriage, and first birth, by gender and year of birth

(Survey data, n=1800)

Gender and year of birth	Median age	Mean age	Standard deviation		P-value
*Age at the first intercourse or its attempt*
Female respondents:
1988-1977	19	18.8		1.97	0.00
1976-1952	21	21.9		3.36	0.00
=>1951	23	22.8		3.54	0.00
Total: