Left-Behind Experience, Sexual Practices and Reproductive Health: Results of a Large-Scale National Survey of University Students

Abstract

Left-behind experience is a demographic issue caused by unbalanced distributions of social determinants that affect individuals’ wellbeing. While the number of adolescents with left-behind experiences has increased over the past decades, the understanding of the impacts of left-behind experiences on the sexual and reproductive health of Chinese adolescents is limited. To determine the associations between left-behind experience and sexual health, this study analyzed 54,485 responses in the 2022 China Family Planning Association National College Student Survey sponsored by the China Family Planning Association with descriptive analysis and multivariable regression modeling. Participants with left-behind experiences demonstrated a higher prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (OR: 2.11, 95% CI:1.78—2.49) and unintended pregnancies (OR: 1.51. 95%CI: 1.26—1.82) but a lower prevalence of reproductive health problems (OR: 0.95, 95% 0.91—0.99), induced abortion (OR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.28—0.95), and contraception at their first sexual behavior (OR: 0.81, 95%CI: 0.72–0.9). The studying results indicate sexual health disparities between adolescents with left-behind experiences and their counterparts, suggesting that current sex education programs in China should be further implemented to promote adolescent sexual health and dimmish the gap of health inequities.