Many societies place a higher value on males than females. Gender roles and norms have a major impact on the reproductive health of young adults.
Gender affects expectations regarding the sexual activity of boys and girls.
For example, in a survey of factory workers in Thailand ages 15 to 24, a majority of men said premarital intercourse was expected of them and that boys who had not had intercourse were ridiculed by their peers. Women said premarital intercourse was unacceptable, and could damage the family's reputation. Regarding responsibility for contraception, young men viewed contraception as a woman's responsibility, but young women would not consider seeking or requesting contraception for fear of being thought of as sexually active. Differences in expectations create separate standards for males and females in terms of the social consequences of pregnancy. For adolescent girls in many countries, an unplanned pregnancy usually means expulsion from school, while teenage fathers can remain in school.