58% girls have unprotected, unplanned sex

She is aged about 18 and dating. When the opportunity arises she and her boyfriend go to bed. Though the sexual encounter was pleasurable, reality dawns the next morning and hounds her till she gets her periods.

The girl is one of 22,000 college-going students, who were part of a six-city survey carried out by Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society of India (FOGSI). "I was dead scared," she said, recalling the horror of the next morning. "What if I got pregnant? What made matters worse was that I could not talk about this to anybody, not even my mother."

FOGSI, in its survey — carried out in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai, found that hers is not an isolated experience among sexually active girls. Its report, which will be released at the All India Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Kolkata in the first week of January, is certain to startle delegates.

The findings — based on FOGSI's two-day 'Let's Talk' campaign among college girls — reveals that among sexually active girls, the first intercourse of some 58% is unplanned and hence unprotected. More than a third of the remaining 42% who plan their first sexual encounter do not use contraceptives, exposing themselves to unwanted pregnancy and a range of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs).

The report raises questions about the efficacy of efforts by government agencies in promoting safe sex. "The findings prove that advertisements on safe sex have hardly made any impact," said Mandakini Parihar, chairperson of FOGSI's family welfare committee.

Dr Basab Mukherjee said,"This trend of high-risk sexual behaviour is alarming, especially because the young get only half-baked information through advertisements. This makes them all the more vulnerable to unwanted pregnancy and STDs."

Parihar said based on the report, it becomes essential that sex education should begin from school. "They should be told about the human body, its development, puberty, menstruation and the like at the middle school level itself. Gradually, they should be taught the reproductive system. As they reach the age of 19, they need to be taught about sexuality, contraception and safe sex practices," said Parihar, who spearheaded 'Let's Talk'.

The study also shows a majority of sexually-active girls shy away from consulting a gynaecologist, fearing their single status could lead to stigma. "With malls and multiplexes, our society looks very modern. But when it comes to sex, it is still very conservative," says a sociologist.