Sexual Experience and Contraceptive Use Among Young Adults in Guatemala City

The Guatemala City Young Adult Reproductive Health Survey revealed that 22 percent of women and 74 percent of men aged 15-24 had had premarital sexual intercourse. Seventeen percent of the women and 45 percent of the men had first premarital intercourse before age 15. Their mean ages at first premarital intercourse were 16.7 and 14.8, respectively; both groups reported that, on average, their first partner had been older than they were at first intercourse. Forty-two percent of the young men had had their first sexual experience with a prostitute. For the female respondents, premarital intercourse appears to be a precursor to marriage, but such an association is not as clear among the young men. Only 10 percent of females and 15 percent of males reported that they had practiced contraception at first premarital intercourse. The pill and vaginal methods were the methods most commonly used by young women at that time, while these methods plus the condom were the methods most often used by the men. The most important reason for nonuse at first intercourse was that the respondent had not expected to have intercourse at that time. One-third of currently married young women and half of currently married men were practicing contraception at the time of the survey. Although the pill is an important method among married women, such women also commonly rely on the IUD. Married males who practice contraception depend on a wider variety of methods than do married women. However, half of all the females and one-third of all the males said they would not use a method if they were to have sexual relations in the following two weeks.