Table 3.

Premarital sexual experience by selected background characteristics

	Premarital sex		Total
	Yes	No	%	Number
Age group
15–19	34.6	65.4	100.0	205
20 and above	41.6	58.4	100.0	368
Level of education
Intermediate	35.2	64.8	100.0	159
Undergraduate	39.8	60.2	100.0	309
Graduate degree	42.9	57.1	100.0	105
Marital status
Married	32.8	67.2	100.0	67
Unmarried	39.9	60.1	100.0	506
District
Outside Kathmandu valley	39.8	60.2	100.0	520
Kathmandu valley	32.1	67.9	100.0	53
Living arrangement
With family	36.6	63.4	100.0	232
Alone	43.4	56.6	100.0	106
With friends	39.6	60.4	100.0	235
Attitude towards female virginity***
Conservative	33.4	66.6	100.0	305
Liberal	45.5	54.5	100.0	268
Attitude towards male virginity***
Conservative	30.0	70.0	100.0	290
Liberal	48.4	51.6	100.0	283
Family structure
Joint family	39.6	60.4	100.0	139
Nuclear family	38.9	61.1	100.0	434
Religion*
Non-Hindu	20.0	80.0	100.0	35
Hindu	40.3	59.7	100.0	538
Has a friend who has experienced premarital sex***
No	14.9	85.1	100.0	268
Yes	60.3	39.7	100.0	305
Total	39.1	60.9	100.0	573

Note: *** = p < .001, ** = p < .01, * = p < .05