| INDIA TODAY | CURRENT ISSUE SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 | | | | COVER STORY: SEX SURVEY |  | | | | Sex And The Single Woman | | | | | Yet even now singledom is the equivalent of a circus freak show. As Kolkata psychologist Salony Priya puts it, everything conspires to ensure that a woman weds. And weds well. Perhaps it is time for parents, who have so far merely wrung their hands and allowed conventional pressures to decide the social agenda, and educators, whose first response on sex is to find the nearest beach to bury their heads, to wake up. As for the men, if they're not careful, they may have to settle for a long, cold shower. POLL:
| Have you ever had a sexual relationship? | | Yese | 24 | | No | 76 | | All figures in per cent | | | Experts say that one in four admitting to having a sexual relationship is significant given the intimate nature of the question. The number is highest in Mumbai, followed by Delhi, and surprisingly, Patna. | |
| How important is sex in your life? | | Important | 34 | | Very important | 26 | | Neither important nor unimportant | 28 | | Not at all important | 6 | | All figures in per cent; Rest: Don't know/Won't say | | | The importance they attach to sex has increased (60 per cent) from a similar survey in 2003 where the figure was 53 per cent. The figure is highest in Hyderabad (82 per cent). | |
| At what age did you first have sex? | | Less than 15 years | 3 | | 15-18 years | 29 | | 19-21 years | 42 | | 22-24 years | 18 | | 25-27 years | 7 | | Small town girls seem to have had sex earlier than their big city counterparts. In Lucknow, Patna, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Ludhiana, 15-18 years was a significant percentage. | |
| Have you ever read erotic literature? | | Yes | 33 | | No | 67 | | All figures in per cent; Rest: Don't know/Won't say | | |
| Are you afraid of AIDS? | | Yes | 53 | | No | 38 | |
| What do you think about oral sex? | | It is not all right | 24 | | It is okay as the woman won't get pregnant | 17 | | It is okay as it is not considered intercourse | 15 | | Clearly the Delhi school MMS clip was not an aberration. Over 50 per cent give the thumbs up to oral sex in Delhi. | |
| Do you think men should remain virgins till they are married? | | Yes | 65 | | No | 26 | | All figures in per cent; Rest: Don't know/Won't say | | |
| Do you think women should remain virgins till they are married? | | Yes | 66 | | No | 26 | |
| Would you ever grant a sexual favour in return for a big career break? | | Yes | 7 | | May Be | 10 | | No | 69 | |
| Do you believe in equal pleasure for men and women in bed? | | Yes | 63 | | No | 15 | |
| Has a man ever asked you for sexual favours in return for a job, an assignment, or a promotion? | | Never | 70 | | Only once in life | 6 | | Twice or thrice | 2 | | More often | 2 | | In Mumbai and Chennai, however, a higher percentage of women has been propositioned at work most often, which is more than three times. | |
| What are your views on extramarital sex? | | It is not okay | 66 | | It is okay | 16 | | All figures in per cent; Rest: Don't know/Won't say | | | Hyderabad had the highest percentage of women-34 per cent-who approved of sex outside marriage. But then the city also leads in the percentage of women saying yes to live-in relationships and to the importance of sex. | |
| Do you have or have had a boyfriend? | | Yes | 54 | | No | 46 | |
| What will you do if your boyfriend is unfaithful? | | Talk and sort it out | 37 | | End the relationship | 24 | | Forgive, forget and carry on as usual | 11 | | Tell him that she had the right to do the same | 8 | | All figures in per cent; Rest: Don't know/Won't say | | In the 2003 survey, 61 per cent of the single women said they would discuss the issue. Today, one in every four women says she will end the relationship in case of infidelity, which shows the rise in confidence. | |
| Have you ever gone out on a date? | | Yes | 51 | | No | 49 | |
| Did you tell your parents about it? | | Yes | 36 | | No | 59 | |
| Do you talk about sex with your women friends? | | Yes | 64 | | No | 36 | |
| What do you think about condom use? | | Must use | 51 | | Never use | 9 | | Spoils pleasure | 12 | | All figures in per cent; Rest: Don't know/Won't say | | |
Index | | |
