Sexual abstinence and associated factors among Myanmar youths: evidence from the Myanmar demographic and health survey 2015–16

Objectives: Myanmar's youth's sexual behavior is a strong predictor of public health outcomes, particularly sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, and unintended pregnancies. Although abstaining from sex is a widely promoted preventive measure, there is little evidence among Myanmar's young people. This study sought to determine the prevalence of sexual abstinence and its associated factors. Methods: -value < 0.05. Results: The findings indicated that 71.2% of Myanmar youths were sexually abstinent. Multiple logistic regression revealed that age 15-19 years (AOR = 0.13), females (AOR = 0.69), current tobacco use (AOR = 0.54), and moderate to high HIV/AIDS awareness level (AOR = 0.75, 0.73) were associated with reduced probabilities of sexual abstinence. Higher education level (AOR = 2.24), employment (AOR = 1.55), higher wealth index (AORs = 1.59-2.73), and access to media (AOR = 1.24) were associated with increased probabilities of sexual abstinence. Conclusion: These findings suggest the need for interventions that support school retention, address socioeconomic disadvantage, promote positive media engagement, and integrate substance-use prevention within sexual and reproductive health initiatives aimed at youths in Myanmar.