Premarital Sexual Behaviour and Early Pregnancy; Impact on Health among

Adolescents.

Premarital sex is penetrative vaginal intercourse performed between couples before formal
marriage. World Health Organization (WHO) defines adolescent as persons between the age
group of 10–19 years old. More than two-thirds of young people in developed nations have
sexual intercourse while still in their teens. The most vulnerable group of premarital sexual
behaviour are youths and adolescents.

The aim of the study is to assess factors affecting premarital sex behaviours among
adolescents and its impact on health. This study is based on the review of secondary
information published by the relevant organization and authors in Nepal and beyond. Study
materials were primarily identified searching through Electronic databases and Software
bases. Age group of 10-19 called as adolescents during the period, there is drastic
development in physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. There are
multidimensional factors that leads to premarital sexual behaviour. Parent relationship
withtheir children and family environment, societal environment, cultural and traditional rules
and values, economic condition, school environment, peer's relationship, love and affairs,
communications (mobiles, internet-pone movies etc.) and rules and regulation are the risk
factors that affect in premarital sexual behaviour of the adolescents. Sex after marriage is
fruitful but having a premarital sex with mutual understanding with full protection is not a big
issue. Unwanted pregnancy, teenage pregnancy, abortion, STIs, HIV/AIDS, regrets, guilt, loss
of self-respect, depression, loss of family support, substance abuse and even suicidal death 
are the health impact of premarital sexual behaviour among adolescents.

As an adolescent, have your ever wondered why some of us teenagers engage in Pre-Marital
Sex?
Other factors associated with premarital sex include influence of media, peer pressure, insatiable lust
for money, cultural influence, sexual harassment, curiosity, poor school discipline, location of school,
religious teachings, and literacy. The internal factor that leads young people to premarital sex is a
hormonal effect. The hormone manages the transition period from childhood to adulthood, and it is the
period of biological growth and social role transitions within the family and the community . 

When adolescents go through puberty, their hormones increase and make them more likely to want to
engage in sex and have sex regardless of what their parents say to do. Age group of 10-19 called as
adolescents during the period, there is drastic development in physical, cognitive, social and emotional
development. Due to these factors, young people practice sexual intercourse at an early age, with
multiple sexual partners, and unprotected sex. The triggering factors lead young people to risky sexual
behaviors such as unprotected sexual practices.

The consequences and health impacts of unprotected sexual practices among young people include
sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, and abortion. In addition to
health impacts, premarital sex has a social and psychological effect. The social and psychological effects
of premarital sex include loss of self-respect, regrets, loss of family support, depression, victims of
rituals, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation.

The Biochemistry Behind Sex

Particular hormones accompany the good feeling people call “love” and its associated
actions. Studies have shown that
oxytocin and vasopressin, two
hormones implicated in attachment,
are released during sexual activity.
Oxytocin is more abundant in
females than in males and is
released during orgasm, causing
uterine motility in what is
believed to be a way to help
sperm reach their destination. A
scientific proof that sex was
God’s design for procreation.
Oxytocin also has physical and psychological effects that impact social behaviors like
bonding. These hormones help build trust, openness, warmth, and selflessness
between couples. Sex before marriage, which is usually fling relationships or
opportunistic or accidental incidents, causes your body to release hormones for
attachment with people that you’re just having fun with. Perhaps this explains the
emotional yearning after the act, even when the other person had long walked away.

The study above also showed that the behavior and physiological changes associated
with the loss of an attachment figure mimic those used in defining depression. Why am I
belaboring this point on the biochemistry behind sex? That sex before marriage is an
evil before God should be enough reason to abstain until marriage. But then, there are
people who see sex just on a physical level. For some, they believe they can
indulge it, confess, and move on like nothing happened.

When you give out your body for a sexual union with another person, you’re not just
having fun. You’re forming emotional and psychological bonds, you’re becoming “one
flesh” with that person. And the effects of that encounter linger long after the act.
Risks of Teen Pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy is when a woman under 20 gets pregnant. It usually refers to teens
between the ages of 15-19. But it can include girls as young as 10. It's also called teen
pregnancy or adolescent pregnancy.

Although the teen pregnancy rate has declined by 55% since 1990, teens are still becoming
pregnant and giving birth and 75% of those are unintended pregnancies. While it is possible that
a teen who becomes pregnant can experience a healthy pregnancy and be an excellent parent,
many pregnant and parenting teens struggle with multiple stressors, health risks and other
complex issues. Being pregnant as a teenager puts you at higher risk for having a baby born too
early, with a low birth weight and, tragically, higher risk of death.

What Are the Risks?

 If a pregnancy is unplanned, the mother may not be getting the prenatal care she
and her baby need or may not even be healthy enough to carry a child to term.
 Teens are often unprepared for the realities involved in parenting an infant. Often,
complex relationships and financial burden combined with balancing school and
parenting are stressful and can put a newborn at risk.
 Teens who are pregnant or raising a baby have a hard time finishing school. Only
3% of teens who have a baby receive their college diploma before the age of 30.
 Many teen parents are single. Being a single parent can have financial and
emotional stressors and a stressed parent puts a baby at risk.
 Parents often need resources to help them navigate their child’s well-being and
development. Teens may not be aware of this type of assistance.

Moreover, youth who engage in Pre-Marital Sexual Activity also make them highly vulnerable to
early and unwanted pregnancy and its consequences. Girls who have received minimal
education are 5 times more likely to become a mother than those with higher levels
of education. Pregnant girls oft en drop out of school, limiting opportunities for future
employment and perpetuating the cycle of poverty. In many cases, girls perceive
pregnancy to be a bett er option than continuing their education. In addition, the
unique risks faced by girls during emergencies  increase the chances of them becoming
pregnant. Factors include the desire to compensate for the loss of a child, reduced
access to information and contraception and increased sexual violence. For many
adolescents, pregnancy and childbirth are neither planned, nor wanted. In countries
where abortion is prohibited or highly restricted, adolescents typically resort to
unsafe abortion, putti ng their health and lives at risk. Adolescent pregnancy can also
have negative social and economic effects on girls, their families and communities.
Unmarried pregnant adolescents may face stigma or rejection by parents and peers as
well as threats of violence .