Virginity and Gender in Shanghai, China: Exploring Migration, Rural, Urban Residence and Age of Sexual Debut

May Sudhinaraset, Johns Hopkins University and University of California, San Francisco
Robert Blum, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Purpose: Migrants are identified as a high-risk group for HIV and STIs in China. The purpose of this study is to determine age of sexual debut across migrant and non-migrant groups in Shanghai, China. Methods: Survival analysis methods were employed on a cross-sectional survey of 6,299 15-24 year olds. Kaplan-Meier estimates as well as Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying effects were used to assess the effects of time-interaction of age of sexual debut with migration status. Results: Overall, only 15% of the study population experienced premarital sex, with differences across migration status (p<0.05). Age of sexual debut differed across men and women. For women, rural non-migrants were at greater risk of earlier sexual debut (HR=1.92, CI: 1.34-2.74), and rural-to-urban migrants were at greater risk of sexual debut compared to urban non-migrants (HR=1.79, CI: 1.07-2.99). Conclusions: Results indicate that prevention efforts should target rural non-migrants and rural-to-urban migrant women.