Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-29-2025
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In Nepal, sexual relationships outside of the traditional arranged marital system are increasingly common. Despite the availability of modern sexual health care, research on how to effectively deliver sexual health services to unmarried young adults in Nepal is limited.
OBJECTIVE: This study examined key theoretical correlates between Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Service Use and actual sexual health service use among unmarried young adults (aged 18 to 25) in Kathmandu, Nepal.
METHODS: Unmarried young adults between 18 and 25 were recruited from colleges and universities in the Kathmandu area. A total of 110 women and 93 men completed the survey (
Background: In Nepal, sexual relationships outside of the traditional arranged marital system are increasingly common. Despite the availability of modern sexual health care, research on how to effectively deliver sexual health services to unmarried young adults in Nepal is limited. Objective: This study examined key theoretical correlates between Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Service Use and actual sexual health service use among unmarried young adults (aged 18 to 25) in Kathmandu, Nepal. Methods: Unmarried young adults between 18 and 25 were recruited from colleges and universities in the Kathmandu area. A total of 110 women and 93 men completed the survey (n = 203). Using a cross-sectional correlational design, the analysis involved descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and logistic regression. Findings and conclusions: Approximately 37% of participants reported engaging in sexual intercourse, with 55.7% reporting condom use during most recent intercourse. Less than half (39.1%) were aware of available sexual health services, and less than one-third (26.6%) were aware of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Over a third of participants (40.9%) reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact, and 5.9% had a history of forced sexual intercourse. The actual reported sexual health service use within the past 12 months was 13.9%. Logistic regression analyses showed higher perceived youth friendliness of the health system (OR: 1.19; CI: 1.01–1.39; p < .05), sexual attraction to the same or both sexes (OR: 2.91; 95%; CI: 1.54–5.50; p < .01), higher perceived sexual risk (OR: 1.33; 95%; CI: 1.11–1.59; p < .01), as well as prior health awareness and behaviors (e.g., cigarette consumption, dating app use), were statistically significant correlates of sexual health service use. These findings indicate a need for further research to understand the experiences of Nepalese young adults with sexual healthcare and essential elements of youth-friendly health systems. 2025 Jayasinghe, Ulrich, Shrestha, Sherpa Awasthi, Chittams, Rice, Shrestha and Teitelman.
Recommended Citation
Jayasinghe, Joshua; Ulrich, Connie M.; Shrestha, Anju; Sherpa Awasthi, Mamata; Chittams, Jesse; Rice, Bridgette M.; Shrestha, Prakash; and Teitelman, Anne M., "Correlates of Sexual Health Service Use Amongst Unmarried Young Adults in Kathmandu, Nepal" (2025). College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations. Paper 136.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/nursfp/136
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
PubMed ID
41234246
Language
English
Comments
This article is the author's final published version in Frontiers in Reproductive Health, Volume 7, 2025, Article number 1587770.
The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.3389/frph.2025.1587770.
© 2025 Jayasinghe, Ulrich, Shrestha, Sherpa Awasthi, Chittams, Rice, Shrestha and Teitelman.