Perceptions of the Role of Internet Use on Sexual Health among Young People in Kathmandu, Nepal
Keywords:
Interneting behavior, internet and pornography, Sexual behavior, Social media, Young peopleAbstract
The reorganization of sexuality and sexual interests among young people have largely been shaped by changing communication media, particularly, Internet. This article aimed to describe sexual behaviors and the perceived role of internet use on such sexual behaviors among young people in Kathmandu. Study was undertaken using mixed method with cross-sectional descriptive design among randomly selected 423 young people (age: 15-24 years) from 42 different colleges in Kathmandu. Self-administered questionnaire was employed for data collection. Chi-square test was carried in SPSS v.22. Internet accessibility was found among 92.3%of respondents with the mean±SD of 19.44±2.29 years. Sexual behaviors, undertaken in this study, were revealed mostly by male respondents, increasing proportion with higher education level. The porn videos, followed by social media were found the main sources in such sexual behaviors. The interaction between internet access and sexual intercourse was found insignificant (p-0.534); however, various statements related to attitudes towards negative role of internet were responded in higher proportion. Role of Internet use was found significantly changing the perceptions towards sexual behaviors of young people. Around 42.14% youths agreed with the negative effects of internet use in their sexual matters; thereby, feel vulnerable to its use. Internet has become platform for misguiding sexual behaviors of youths at large. Thus, to encourage the young people’s internet safety and sexual well-being, there is a need to have proper guidance through complex analytical and experimental modules.
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