Study raises alarm over sexual practices of Jamaican women, girls

A recent study has determined that a troubling percentage of Jamaican teenagers, including girls as young as 15, are engaging in sexual activity with multiple partners. At the same time, the research found, many adult women – some married or in committed relationships – have also acknowledged having multiple sexual partners.

The findings come from a probability-based, cross-sectional study conducted by researcher Dr Paul Bourne, which examined the sexual and gynaecological behaviours of sexually active Jamaican women. The analysis drew on data from the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Reproductive Health Survey 2021–2022 and included 3,224 respondents, of whom 2,199 were sexually active. With a margin of error of three per cent, the study offers a 97-per-cent confidence level and was conducted earlier this year and published last month.

Among the sexually active respondents, six per cent (133) were aged 15-19, 34.4 per cent (757) were between 20 and 29, 35.3 per cent (776) were aged 30-39, and 24.2 per cent (533) were between 40 and 49.

At the time of the survey, only 5.5 per cent reported not having had sex in the previous three months, while 46.9 per cent said they had one sexual partner during that period, 40 per cent reported having two partners, and two per cent indicated having more than 10. Among the sexually active minors were six 15-year-olds and nine 16-year-olds.

“We have realised that these children are not only having sexual intercourse, but a number of them also have multiple sexual partners,” said Bourne, noting that 48 per cent of teens older than 16 reported having multiple sexual partners.

Education level

The study also found that, among respondents with multiple sexual partners, 5.5 per cent of those with post secondary education had multiple sexual partners compared to six per cent of those with secondary education and four per cent of those with primary level education.

Nine per cent of those who were unemployed had multiple sexual partners compared to 6.4 per cent of employed women.

“One per cent of married women have multiple sexual partners, compared to 2.1 per cent of those in common-law relationships who had multiple sexual partners,” Bourne said.

“Some 8.3 per cent of those with multiple sexual partners are in visiting relationships, 11.3 per cent of those reported that they have a boyfriend, and 10.2 per cent of those with multiple sexual partners said they were single. ... There seems to be a cultural issue, where even when these women are married or in committed relationships, they still have concurrent multiple sexual partners.”

Bourne argued that these patterns help explain ongoing issues such as disputed paternity, noting that concurrent sexual partnerships exist even within stable unions. He suggested that these behaviours have historical roots dating back to slavery and continue to be modelled and replicated by younger generations.

The study did not examine the ages of male partners, contraceptive use, or same-sex relationships. However, Bourne said efforts are under way to conduct a similar study focusing on Jamaican men, as well as a more detailed examination of sexually active minors.

“If we are trying to address sexual behaviour in Jamaica, we must address the root causes. For example, if it is that these females are having transactional sex, we can’t just give them condoms. They won’t use them because they are often operating at the demands of the male provider,” Bourne noted, adding that the situation becomes more nuanced when minors are involved.

High school guidance counsellor Alecia Harris, who has worked in the education system for a decade, attributed sexual risk-taking among teenagers and young adults to a combination of childhood experiences, social media influence, and a desire for acceptance and identity. She noted that unresolved childhood sexual trauma may also contribute to some adolescents’ behaviour.

“Today, their sense of belonging is more associated with social media, where they want to be a part of the in-group, so sex and same-sex union is something that they are exploring. So, some of the girls are not going to say they are homosexual, but they are exposing themselves to girls and also to boys,” Harris said, noting that these relationships often get sour, with explicit details ending up on social media.

“Sometimes these teenage girls end up with multiple sexual partners out of revenge; they find out that the boy is cheating and want to explore another guy. Others have been exposed early to sex, and so they don’t value their bodies. Sometimes this early exposure comes from social media due to a lack of supervision by parents. Sometimes it’s because of a relative or family friend who took advantage of them. These things happen in the early stages. They are latent in childhood, but they (girls) start to explore them in the adolescent stages,” she explained. “So they move from one guy to the next seeking that love and reassurance.”

Supporting this broader concern, a Civil Society Review of the Diversion of Alternative Measures for Children in Conflict with the Law, a study conducted by Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) and published last month, found that 62 per cent of the 1,517 cases referred to the Child Diversion Programme between March 2020 and June 2024 involved children under 16 engaging in sexual activity with other children under 16 years old.

JFJ attorney Jade Williams noted that in some cases, underage girls initially claim they were coerced when discovered engaging in sexual activity, often due to fear, shame, or anticipated consequences. These claims may later be contradicted during police investigations conducted by the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Assault and Child Abuse.

“Many times, if it is a boy child and a girl child who are caught by the school authorities or whoever, the girl child will say it was forced or that she was pushed into doing it. Unfortunately, that is more believable than the opposite case, where it could have been the girl child who had encouraged the sexual activity,” Williams said.

“Once the child comes before the police, however, when they are away from their parents and away from the disappointment of their school administrators, they tend to be more honest,” she added, noting a recent case where the girl child told her mother that she was forced, but there was no such mention in statements made to the police during lengthy interviews.

She cautioned that false or inconsistent allegations can have serious consequences, including the criminalisation and emotional distress of other minors, particularly boys, who may miss school to attend court and whose families may also be affected.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com