Hlaing Yoon Shwe Yee, Siewchaisakul Pallop, Chautrakarn Sineenart
Faculty of Public Health, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Front Reprod Health. 2025 Aug 20;7:1626266. doi: 10.3389/frph.2025.1626266. eCollection 2025.
Youths in Myanmar face heightened risks for adverse sexual health outcomes such as unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS. Despite the increasing youth population in Myanmar, nationally representative data on factors influencing their sexual behaviors are limited. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with sexual behaviors among youths in Myanmar.
This study used data from the Myanmar Demographic Health Survey 2015-16 to analyze a sample of 4,645 youths aged 15-24. Descriptive statistics were used to investigate sociodemographic factors, HIV/STI and contraceptive knowledge, and sexual behaviors. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with sexual behaviors. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were presented. Statistical significance was determined at a -value of <0.05.
Among sexually active youths ( = 1,366), 47.0% reported having their first sex at or before the age of 18, 54.0% were currently using contraception, and only 8.1% of males had paid for sex. Higher education levels, middle, richer, and richest wealth, as well as moderate and high contraception knowledge, were all protective against early sexual initiation. Females and currently married youths were more likely to use contraception, while regional disparities persisted, with youths from hilly, coastal, and plains regions less likely to use contraceptives than those from the delta and lowlands. Married males were less likely to pay for sex. Male youths with moderate or high contraception knowledge reported higher risk of paying for sex.
According to this study, gender, education level, wealth status, marital status, region, and contraceptive knowledge all have a significant impact on sexual behaviors among Myanmar youths. Early sexual initiation and low contraceptive use are common, especially among young people with low education and socioeconomic status. Targeted, inclusive, and culturally sensitive sexual and reproductive health education and services are urgently needed to address knowledge gaps and promote safer behaviors among Myanmar's youth.
缅甸的青少年面临着意外怀孕和性传播感染（包括艾滋病毒/艾滋病）等不良性健康后果的更高风险。尽管缅甸的青年人口不断增加，但关于影响其性行为因素的全国代表性数据有限。本研究旨在调查缅甸青少年性行为的相关因素。
本研究使用了2015 - 16年缅甸人口与健康调查的数据，对4645名15 - 24岁的青少年样本进行分析。描述性统计用于调查社会人口学因素、艾滋病毒/性传播感染及避孕知识和性行为。多变量逻辑回归用于确定与性行为相关的因素。呈现调整后的优势比（AOR）和95%置信区间（CI）。统计学显著性以P值<0.05确定。
在有性行为的青少年（n = 1366）中，47.0%报告在18岁及以前首次发生性行为，54.0%目前正在使用避孕措施，只有8.1%的男性有过付费性行为。较高的教育水平、中等、富裕和最富裕的财富状况，以及中等和高避孕知识，都对过早开始性行为有保护作用。女性和目前已婚的青少年更有可能使用避孕措施，而地区差异仍然存在，来自山区、沿海和平原地区的青少年比来自三角洲和低地的青少年使用避孕药具的可能性更小。已婚男性付费性行为的可能性较小。避孕知识中等或高的男性青少年报告有更高的付费性行为风险。
根据本研究，性别、教育水平、财富状况、婚姻状况、地区和避孕知识都对缅甸青少年的性行为有显著影响。过早开始性行为和低避孕措施使用率很常见，特别是在教育程度低和社会经济地位低的年轻人中。迫切需要有针对性、包容性和对文化敏感的性健康和生殖健康教育及服务，以填补知识空白并促进缅甸青年的更安全性行为。
