Sexuality and secret intimacy: negotiating sexual relationships amongst Nepalese young people in the UK

Among Nepalese young people, sex and sexuality remains a taboo; this creates a struggle for them to negotiate their sexual lives within their Nepalese families and community. Sexuality and romantic relationships are private and secret matters for the majority of South Asians, including Nepalese young people, since sexual relationship outside marriage is considered inappropriate. This presentation aims to explore the changing attitudes and experiences of Nepalese young people towards their sexual lifestyles and relationships and discusses the intersection of gender, parental connectedness, sexual communication and sociocultural and religious norms in negotiating romantic and sexual relationships. The findings suggest young females and same sex couples are inclined to keep their romantic relationship secret because of the cultural expectations to maintain familial pride, honour and reputation within the Nepalese society, compared to their male heterosexual counterparts. Lack of parental connectedness and sociocultural taboos related to the sexual health topics restrict sexual communication with parents within familial environment. Despite all the sociocultural norms and expectations, Nepalese young people in contemporary society (at the example of metropolitan Britain) live their sexualities and experience sexual intimacy, albeit in a secretive manner. The research presented is part of an interdisciplinary PhD research that used ethnography and biography to explore social and cultural factors affecting the sexual lives of 16 Nepalese young persons aged 16-24 living in the contemporary and multicultural society of London.