Women Have More Sex Partners Than Men In Most Indian States, Finds NFHS Survey

A survey conducted by National Family Health Survey (NFHS) during 2019-2021 found that women have more sex partners than men in many states and Union territories. The survey was conducted in 707 districts of the country among 1.1 lakh women and one lakh men.

In almost 11 states and UTs, women have more sex partners than men. These states are Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu. Rajasthan had the highest number of women who had on an average 3.1 sex partners as against 1.8 for men.

A marginally larger share of rural women than urban women and those currently married than of those never married, divorced, widowed, or separated said they had sex with two or more partners in the 12 months preceding the survey.

However, according to the NFHS data, a larger population of men (3.6%) than women(0.5%) have had sexual intercourse with those who were neither their spouses nor those with whom they have lived together just 12 months before the survey.

The survey was predominantly taken up to measure the pervasiveness of higher-risk sexual intercourse and condom usage during such sex, as low condom usage could generally put people at greater risk of HIV/AIDS.

The NFHS report also provides data on socio-economic and other background characteristics, useful for policy formulation and effective program implementation.