Lack of Gender Equality Perceptions as a Predictor of Risky Sexual Behaviors among Men in Northern India

Rajeev Colaco, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Shelah S. Bloom, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chirayath Suchindran, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Kavita Singh, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Kathryn E. Moracco, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The driving force behind the spread of STIs/HIV among the general population in India (including married monogamous women) has been attributed to men’s risky sexual behaviors, such as sex with multiple partners and unprotected sex. In India and other patriarchal societies, studies have reported than men’s justifications for having risky sex include their perceived superiority over women and their perceived “right” to engage in risky sex. This study uses men’s data from the north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal, from the nationally representative 2005/06 Indian National Family Health Survey. Preliminary findings from descriptive analyses and logistic regression models indicate that men who do not believe in gender equality constructs are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors, as compared to men who believe in equality for women. Therefore, STI/HIV transmission interventions need to educate men about women’s rights and equality, a subject inadequately addressed in India/South Asia.