Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Thai survey reveals sentiment of young people on sex before marriage
A story released today by The Nation reports that according to a survey conducted by Thailand’s Suan Dusit Poll, the young Thailanders believe that sex before marriage is acceptable and allows couples to get to know each other before they live together.
Sixty-one percent - 78 percent of men and 44 percent of women - said sex before marriage was not wrong. Some 28 percent - 14 percent of men and 42 percent of women - disagreed, saying it was against Thai customs and culture and degraded women.
A total of 43 percent said they would rather register the marriage to create confidence among both parties. 10 percent of those surveyed said the marriage certificate was just a piece of paper and had no significance.
Forty-five per cent - 32 per cent of men and 57 per cent of women - opposed losing virginity before marriage because it was immoral, disrespectful, especially for women, and a disgrace for the family. Another 38.3 per cent - 54 per cent of men and 22 per cent of women - said it was acceptable, a way to gain experience and not morally wrong.
A total of 1,437 unmarried 18 to 25 year olds, 572 men and 865 women, were asked about sex, marriage and the significance of marriage certificates in the poll completed yesterday.
