Perceptions of unmarried young women regarding family size, sexually transmitted diseases at residential regional institutes in northeastern India.

ABSTRACT

This study sought to assess the knowledge and attitudes of young unmarried women regarding family size and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, in three residential regional institutes of northeastern India. The data is expected to help in reinforcing various methods of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) implementation. A representative sample of 574 female students, 16-25 years of age, were interviewed by a pretested questionnaire to assess their knowledge of the determinants of family size and sexually transmitted diseases. Of the participants, 48.43% stated that the suitable age for marriage is > 18 years old for women. More than half the respondents stated that the interval between child birth should be 3-5 years. Most of the respondents (96.17%) were of the opinion that both parents are responsible for determining the number of children. Knowledge of STDs and HIV was found in 91.8% and 74.04% of respondents, respectively.