Trends in heterosexual inexperience among young adults in Japan: analysis of national surveys, 1987–2015

Abstract

Background It has been suggested that an increasing number of Japanese adults remain sexually inexperienced; however, no study has assessed this issue using nationally representative data. Methods We used data from seven rounds of the National Fertility Survey of Japan, 1987–2015, and included adults aged 18–39 years (18–34 years in the 1987 survey) in the analyses (sample size 11,553–17,850 [1987–2010]; response rate 70.0–92.5%). For each survey year, sex and age group, we estimated the age-adjusted prevalence of heterosexual inexperience, defined as reporting no experience of sexual intercourse with someone of the opposite sex. We used logistic regression, adjusted for age, to identify factors associated with heterosexual inexperience in the 2010 survey. Information about same-sex sexual experience was not available. Results Between 1992 and 2015, the age-standardized prevalence of heterosexual inexperience in adults aged 18–39 years increased from 21.7 to 24.6% for women ( p -values for linear and quadratic trend < 0.05) and from 20.0 to 25.8% for men ( p -values for trend < 0.05). Among those aged 30–34 years, the prevalence was 6.2% in 1987 and 11.9% in 2015 for women ( p -values for trend ≥0.05) and 8.8% (1987) and 12.7% (2015) for men (p-values for trend ≥0.05). Among those aged 35–39 years, prevalence increased from 4.0% in 1992 to 8.9% in 2015 among women (p-values for trend < 0.05). The corresponding numbers for men in the same age group were 5.5 and 9.5%, respectively (p-values for trend ≥0.05). Among men aged 25–39 years, unemployment, temporary/part-time employment and lower income were associated with heterosexual inexperience. Conclusions The proportion of young Japanese adults with no experience of heterosexual intercourse had increased in the past two decades. Among adults in their thirties, around one in ten had no heterosexual experience. Unemployment, temporary/part-time employment and low income were associated with heterosexual inexperience among men. Further research is needed on the factors contributing to and the potential public health and demographic implications of the high proportion of the Japanese population that remains sexually inexperienced well into adult age. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6677-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Sexual Abstinence and Associated Factors Among Young and Middle-Aged Men: A Systematic Review

“…The middle-aged men from Kanto, Kinki, and Chubu regions had significantly higher odds of primary sexual abstinence than those from the other regions (Kyushu, Chugoku, Tohoku, and Hokkaido). 39 A further study reported that young men living in urban areas had significantly lower odds of primary abstinence than those living in rural areas. 32 It was also reported that living in densely populated areas and in a neighborhood with the social disorder (fight by using weapons) had a significantly negative relationship with primary sexual abstinence in men.…”

“…Primary sexual abstinence in young men 11e14,16e20, 22,29e33,39e42 and middle-aged men ranged from 3.4% to 83.3% and 5.5%e32.8%, respectively. 11,39 Furthermore, the age categorization given in the selected studies showed that the prevalence for 10-to 19-year-old men was the highest (27.7%e 83.3%), 12,13,16,18,22,30,33,39 followed by 15-to 24-year-old men (3.4%e59.7%) 13,14,16,17,19,31,32,39,41 and 25-to 45-year-old men (5.5%e32.8%) 11,39 (Table 1). Table 1 shows that the overall prevalence of secondary abstinence reported in 22 studies ranged between 0% and 83.6% in men younger than 60 years ( Table 1).…”

“…8,21 3 studies also reported no association between primary sexual abstinence and the level of education in men. 11,19,39 Parental education was significantly associated with abstinence, but only for young men who had at least one parent with a bachelor's degree; these men had the highest rates of abstinence. 18,33 However, another study reported that primary abstinence was not associated with maternal education.…”

“…19 Men of all age groups (younger than 60 years) whose sexual abstinence was either primary or secondary were less likely to report that they were currently employed 9,12,28,39 or selfdependent 13,39 and had lower personal and household incomes or contributions to household income. 7,9,13,19,39 Military service and a history of incarceration significantly lowered the odds of primary abstinence in a man. 11 However, another study reported that being arrested was significantly positively associated with primary abstinence but not incarceration.…”

“…32 It was also reported that living in densely populated areas and in a neighborhood with the social disorder (fight by using weapons) had a significantly negative relationship with primary sexual abstinence in men. 39…”