Sexual knowledge and practice in Pakistani young men

Background: There is a shortage of scientific data on the subject of sexuality from Pakistan. We decided to document misconceptions among Pakistani young men, regarding masturbation and nocturnal emissions and to make a case for sex education in the country. Objective: To study the knowledge, attitude and practice of Pakistani young men as regards masturbation and nocturnal emissions and to see any associations with demographic factors like age, marital status, occupation, level of education and socio economic status. Method: A questionnaire was developed, based on the objectives of the study. It was administered to 188 men between the ages 18-30 years, who presented to the outpatient department of the Aga Khan University Hospital. There was double entry of the data from questionnaires and the demographic form into the computer program, using the Fox Pro for windows and the SPSS for windows.Results: We found a high prevalence of misconceptions and guilt associated with both these acts. Eighty percent of the respondents had masturbated while a 94% had experienced nocturnal emissions. 31.4% and 62.8% of the respondents reported association of physical illness and weakness with masturbation. Responses were 14.9% and 42.6% for nocturnal emissions. Association of guilt with masturbation and nocturnal emissions was 68.6% and 32% respectively. We also studied the association of demographic variables with these prevalence figures, in order to point out areas for future studies and interventions. Conclusion: We have documented the misconceptions regarding masturbation and nocturnal emissions among Pakistani young men and have made a case for sex education of our youth (JPMA 49:251, 1999)