Effect of religiosity on sex attitudes, experience and contraception among university students

J Sex Marital Ther. 1984 Spring;10(1):57-62. doi: 10.1080/00926238408405790.

Abstract

This study deals with the effect of the degree of religiosity on attitudes toward and experience with sex and contraception among university students. Students defined their religious beliefs on the poles from orthodox religion to opposed-to-religion. Data were gathered by an anonymous questionnaire on sexual activity, attitudes toward sex, unwanted pregnancy and contraception. Orthodox and observant students left questions on sex unanswered. Female students were sexually active and used contraception in inverse relationship to their degree of religiosity. There was no parallel finding for males. The more religious the student the less sex was considered contributory to the relationship and the acceptance of abortion declined, but even among religious female students 48% chose abortions as a solution to an unwanted pregnancy.

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Spontaneous
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attitude
  • Contraception Behavior*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Judaism
  • Male
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy, Unwanted
  • Religion and Sex*
  • Sexual Behavior*
  • Students
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Universities