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Articles 61 - 90 of 103
Full-Text Articles in Family, Life Course, and Society
Costs Of Marriage—Marriage Transactions In The Developing World, Sajeda Amin, Ashish Bajracharya
Costs Of Marriage—Marriage Transactions In The Developing World, Sajeda Amin, Ashish Bajracharya
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Over the past two decades the Population Council has amassed a wealth of information on the causes and correlates of child marriage and documented its adverse effects on the well-being of women and girls. In many parts of the developing world, understanding child marriage is central to designing programs that promote healthy transitions to adulthood. Council research also underscores the importance of rituals and practices of marriage exchange around the globe and documents the considerable variation in these practices. Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 35 synthesizes some broad themes that have emerged from research on …
When Girls' Lives Matter: Ending Forced And Early Marriage In Cameroon, Sajeda Amin, Andrea Lynch
When Girls' Lives Matter: Ending Forced And Early Marriage In Cameroon, Sajeda Amin, Andrea Lynch
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The program presented in this case study, the Association for the Struggle Against Violence Against Women (ALVF, from its name in French) in Cameroon, provides counseling, language and literacy training, economic support, and empowerment activities for girls who have fled (or been thrown out of) early or forced marriages to help them overcome their adversities. ALVF also seeks to bring about broader social change by highlighting in the public sphere—as well as among parents and husbands—the plight of girls who were married early and/or by force. Hence, ALVF’s prevention strategy is based on a broad understanding of the perceptions, expectations, …
Empowering Adolescent Girls In Rural Bangladesh: Kishori Abhijan, Sajeda Amin
Empowering Adolescent Girls In Rural Bangladesh: Kishori Abhijan, Sajeda Amin
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In 2001, UNICEF initiated a pilot intervention to test whether livelihoods opportunities could ameliorate early marriage and other adverse outcomes for girls in rural Bangladesh. Kishori Abhijan (“Adolescent Girls’ Adventure”) aimed to lower school dropout rates, increase girls’ independent economic activity, and raise the age at which girls marry. Life-skills training consisted of enhancing self-esteem and leadership skills and providing education related to gender roles and discrimination, health and nutrition, and legislation and legal rights, particularly early marriage and girls’ and women’s rights. Livelihoods training included vocational skills. As noted in Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief …
Retarder Le Mariage Précoce Chez Les Filles Défavorisées En Milieu Rural Dans La Région Amhara, En Éthiopie, Grâce Au Soutien Social, À L'Éducation Et À La Sensibilisation Des Communautés, Eunice N. Muthengi, Annabel Erulkar
Retarder Le Mariage Précoce Chez Les Filles Défavorisées En Milieu Rural Dans La Région Amhara, En Éthiopie, Grâce Au Soutien Social, À L'Éducation Et À La Sensibilisation Des Communautés, Eunice N. Muthengi, Annabel Erulkar
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
L'Éthiopie affiche des taux extrêmement élevés de mariage d'enfants et une épidémie de VIH qui touche les femmes de façon disproportionnée. Dans la région rurale d'Amhara, 50% des filles sont mariées avant l’âge de 15 ans et plus de 80% sont mariées avant l’âge de 18 ans. Les chercheurs ont réalisé une enquête auprès de plus de 1800 adolescentes dans la région d'Amhara. Sur la base des conclusions, en 2004, le Bureau Régional de la Jeunesse et des Sports d'Amhara et le Population Council ont créé le projet Berhane Hewan («Light for Eve»). L'objectif de Berhane Hewan est la mise …
Meserete Hiwot ("Base Of Life"): Supporting Married Adolescents With Hiv Prevention And Reproductive Health In Rural Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar, Aragaw Lamesgin, Eunice N. Muthengi
Meserete Hiwot ("Base Of Life"): Supporting Married Adolescents With Hiv Prevention And Reproductive Health In Rural Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar, Aragaw Lamesgin, Eunice N. Muthengi
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
To better understand the lives of adolescents in rural Ethiopia, researchers conducted a survey of adolescents in Amhara Region. The study found that many girls experienced early, unwanted arranged marriages, resulting in early unwanted sexual initiation and pregnancy, as well as social isolation in new marital homes. Based on the findings of this study, the Population Council and the Ethiopian Ministry of Youth and Sports created a program to support girls who are married early, with a view to increasing their social networks, improving their ability to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, and supporting their reproductive health. This program brief reports …
Building Programs To Address Child Marriage: The Berhane Hewan Experience In Ethiopia, Eunice N. Muthengi, Annabel Erulkar
Building Programs To Address Child Marriage: The Berhane Hewan Experience In Ethiopia, Eunice N. Muthengi, Annabel Erulkar
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The development of a context-appropriate program to delay marriage in rural Ethiopia took place over many years and in stages. The program that ultimately became known as “Berhane Hewan” was developed by building an evidence base of understanding on the populations being served and developing partnerships between the Population Council and like-minded agencies with complementary expertise. The Berhane Hewan pilot demonstrated that significant impacts can be made on the social, educational, and health status of adolescent girls in a short period of time, through well designed and implemented support programs. However, high levels of exposure to all project components, make …
L'Adolescence Des Filles Au Burkina Faso: Une Clé De Voûte Pour Le Changement Social, Martha Brady, Lydia Saloucou, Erica Chong
L'Adolescence Des Filles Au Burkina Faso: Une Clé De Voûte Pour Le Changement Social, Martha Brady, Lydia Saloucou, Erica Chong
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Although a number of innovative programs have been created to meet their needs, Burkinabé adolescent girls continue to face many threats to their well-being. They still need considerable support and opportunities to improve their social and economic status and health status. This report, using a number of data sources, including Population Council studies and programs, and the Demographic and Health Survey of Burkina Faso, aims to provide a general overview of these young girls’ adolescence—the realities of life and the policy and program initiatives designed for them. The Population Council hopes that this report will make a significant contribution to …
Poverty, Marriage Timing, And Transitions To Adulthood In Nepal: A Longitudinal Analysis Using The Nepal Living Standards Survey, Ashish Bajracharya, Sajeda Amin
Poverty, Marriage Timing, And Transitions To Adulthood In Nepal: A Longitudinal Analysis Using The Nepal Living Standards Survey, Ashish Bajracharya, Sajeda Amin
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This working paper examines the influence of household poverty experienced during early childhood on early marriage and outcomes in schooling and workforce participation during adolescence for girls in Nepal. Much of the evidence concerning these relationships is drawn from cross-sectional data that cannot be used, and has not been able, to address causality. This Population Council study uses longitudinal data from the Nepal Living Standards Survey (NLSS), a two-wave panel in which the waves were conducted eight years apart to address these questions. Analyzing the data by household-wealth quintiles reveals surprisingly nonlinear results indicating that these associations are largest for …
Cartographie Sociale Des Espaces De Rencontres Des Adolescentes Mariées Ou Non Dans La Zone D'Intervention Du Projet, Gisele Kaboré, Abdoulaye Semde, Lanko Some
Cartographie Sociale Des Espaces De Rencontres Des Adolescentes Mariées Ou Non Dans La Zone D'Intervention Du Projet, Gisele Kaboré, Abdoulaye Semde, Lanko Some
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
L’étude sur la cartographie sociale des espaces de rencontres des adolescentes mariées ou non dans les zones d’intervention du projet « Éliminer le mariage des enfants au Burkina : un plan pour la protection, le renforcement et l’action communautaire » s’est déroulée dans les 24 sites du projet. Elle a permis de recenser dans les différentes localités en plus des structures publiques, des groupements, des associations, des ONG et projets, des radios, et des espaces de rencontre des adolescents. Des recommendations formulées pour l’atteinte des objectifs du projet comprennent: la création des espaces de rencontre des adolescent(e)s, la promotion des …
Etude Qualitative Sur Le Mariage Précoce Des Adolescentes: Leur Vécu, Leurs Besoins En Matière D'Éducation, De Santé De La Reproduction Et D'Opportunités Socio-Économiques, Gisele Kaboré
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
La présente étude sur le mariage précoce des adolescentes à été commanditée par l’UNFPA en collaboration avec l’UNICEF et le Ministère de l’Action Sociale dans le cadre du projet « Éliminer le mariage des enfants au Burkina : un plan pour la protection, le renforcement et l’action communautaire ». Elle vise à fournir des informations relatives à la pratique du mariage précoce sur les zones d’intervention du projet, afin de faciliter les interventions visant à améliorer les conditions de vie des adolescentes mariées ou non. Il s’agissait d’analyser le contexte socioculturel du mariage des adolescentes ainsi que leur vécu et …
Etude Quantitative Sur Le Mariage Précoce Et Le Vécu Des Adolescentes Dans La Zone D'Intervention Du Projet: Etat Des Lieux Et Perspectives, Gisele Kaboré, Rene Dala, Aristide R. Bado
Etude Quantitative Sur Le Mariage Précoce Et Le Vécu Des Adolescentes Dans La Zone D'Intervention Du Projet: Etat Des Lieux Et Perspectives, Gisele Kaboré, Rene Dala, Aristide R. Bado
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
L’étude sur le mariage précoce s’est déroulée dans cinq régions du Burkina Faso. Elle avait pour objectif général d’étudier les connaissances, les attitudes, les pratiques et les perceptions du mariage précoce ainsi que le vécu des adolescentes mariées ou non en vue d’orienter les actions du projet. L’analyse des résultats de l’étude montre que la situation des adolescentes n’est pas reluisante. L’ampleur du mariage précoce dans la zone d’étude montre bien que le problème est toujours d’actualité. Au regard des résultats qui découlent de l’étude, les recommandations suivantes peuvent être formulées afin de contribuer à améliorer la situation des adolescentes: …
Marriage Considerations In Sending Girls To School In Bangladesh: Some Qualitative Evidence, Sajeda Amin, Lopita Huq
Marriage Considerations In Sending Girls To School In Bangladesh: Some Qualitative Evidence, Sajeda Amin, Lopita Huq
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This working paper analyzes parents’ decisions about girls’ schooling in the context of marriage through in-depth exploration of case studies in two rural areas of northern Bangladesh. The villages are sites of a long-term community study from 1991 and 2002, a time when significant changes were underway, partly as a result of new school incentive programs introduced in 1994. The data show that the rise of dowry demands, a relatively recent practice that is barely a generation old among Muslims in these areas, asserts an important and independent influence on marriage decisions and indirectly influences decisions about schooling. The influence …
How Early Marriage Compromises Girls' Lives, Maharashtra, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips)
How Early Marriage Compromises Girls' Lives, Maharashtra, International Institute For Population Sciences (Iips)
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The policy and program discourse around early marriage has increased significantly over the last decade in India. For example, several national-level policies formulated since 2000, including the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, have advocated special program attention to delay age at marriage and to enforce existing laws against child marriage. Also, programmatically several initiatives have been launched to prevent early marriage. Despite these commitments, substantial proportions of girls continue to marry in adolescence. As recently as 2005–06, 47 percent of women aged 20–24 were married by 18 years nationally. While the situation of married young women in India has …
Reforming Marriage Practices In Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin
Reforming Marriage Practices In Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Marriage customs in Bangladesh vary by region complicating national-level efforts to eliminate some of the more harmful practices, such as early marriage and dowry demands, that undermine the status of women. Efforts to reform marriage must consider economic concerns, social traditions, and social activism. Early marriage—often involving girls as young as 10—has been widely recognized in Bangladesh and elsewhere as a human rights offense. The current legal age at marriage is 18 for women and 21 for men, yet age restrictions are difficult to enforce because Bangladesh lacks an official birth registration system that can verify age. By studying the …
Terms Of Marriage And Time-Use Patterns Of Young Wives: Evidence From Rural Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, Luciana Suran
Terms Of Marriage And Time-Use Patterns Of Young Wives: Evidence From Rural Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, Luciana Suran
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This working paper explores the relationship between marriage arrangements and daily activities of young married women, using detailed time-use data from an adolescent study in rural Bangladesh. Measures of marriage arrangement are payment of dowry and the relative wealth status of natal and marital families. Using multivariate regression analysis, the results show that women’s time spent in domestic work, socializing, and self-care is significantly associated with marriage arrangement variables. Those who paid dowry spent more time in domestic work and less time in self-care and socializing relative to those who did not pay dowry. These patterns of association are similar …
Early Marriage And Sexual And Reproductive Health Risks: Experiences Of Young Women And Men In Andhra Pradesh And Madhya Pradesh, India, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Saswata Ghosh
Early Marriage And Sexual And Reproductive Health Risks: Experiences Of Young Women And Men In Andhra Pradesh And Madhya Pradesh, India, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Saswata Ghosh
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The Population Council undertook a large-scale study of married young women and men in two rural settings in India to assess their situation and vulnerability to HIV and other adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Findings of the study clearly underscore the vulnerability of married youth to STI/HIV as a result of risky sexual experiences before, within, and after marriage. Furthermore, there is a need to sensitize healthcare providers to the special needs and vulnerability of married young people and orient them to the need for developing appropriate strategies to reach diverse groups of young people, including married young women …
Evaluation Of The Long-Term Impact Of The Tostan Programme On The Abandonment Of Fgm/C And Early Marriage: Results From A Qualitative Study In Senegal, Nafissatou J. Diop, Amadou Moreau, Helene Benga
Evaluation Of The Long-Term Impact Of The Tostan Programme On The Abandonment Of Fgm/C And Early Marriage: Results From A Qualitative Study In Senegal, Nafissatou J. Diop, Amadou Moreau, Helene Benga
Reproductive Health
In 1998–99, a village empowerment program was implemented in the Thiès/Fatick and Kolda regions of Senegal by the nongovernmental organization Tostan, to mobilize communities to hold public declarations in support of abandoning harmful traditional practices, including female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage. The information presented in this report indicates that many did end the practices following a public declaration, however, the lack of follow-up in the field and the absence of support mechanisms pose a large obstacle. Nevertheless, the program achieved significant results: knowledge of life skills resulting in positive changes and a shift in the perception of FGM/C …
Improving Reproductive Health And Hiv Prevention Among Married Adolescents In Amhara, Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar, Tekle-Ab Mekbib
Improving Reproductive Health And Hiv Prevention Among Married Adolescents In Amhara, Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar, Tekle-Ab Mekbib
Reproductive Health
The objective of this project is to improve reproductive health (RH), prevent new HIV infections, and promote mutual faithfulness through addressing the HIV and reproductive risk among married adolescents, who are a large, vulnerable, and neglected category of Ethiopian youth. The Population Council partnered with Ethiopia Ministry of Education, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and the Ethiopian Muslim Development Agency to implement the project in Amhara region. The program used religious structures to spread messages about early marriage, HIV, and reproductive health. Local women leaders were trained as mentors of married adolescent girls, convening clubs through which HIV/RH information was conveyed, …
Evaluation Of Berhane Hewan: A Pilot Program To Promote Education And Delay Marriage In Rural Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar, Eunice N. Muthengi
Evaluation Of Berhane Hewan: A Pilot Program To Promote Education And Delay Marriage In Rural Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar, Eunice N. Muthengi
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The Berhane Hewan Program pilot-tested in rural Ethiopia from 2004–06 was developed to sensitize community members to the dangers of child marriage, prevent early marriage among unmarried adolescents, and provide support for girls who are already married. The program included social mobilization of girls aged 10–19 into groups led by female mentors; support to stay in school or convening of groups outside of school including nonformal education and livelihoods skills; and community-wide conversations on early marriage and reproductive health issues affecting girls. Economic incentives were provided to families who did not marry off their daughters during the project period. Population-based …
The Experience Of Married Adolescent Girls In Northern Nigeria, Annabel Erulkar, Mairo Bello
The Experience Of Married Adolescent Girls In Northern Nigeria, Annabel Erulkar, Mairo Bello
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Programs for young people in sub-Saharan Africa have been directed largely toward unmarried adolescents, neglecting the fact that a large proportion of adolescents—especially girls—are married in some settings. Early marriage is a common feature of girls’ adolescence in Northern Nigeria, yet few programs are in place to support this sizable and vulnerable group. To suggest directions for future programming, Adolescent Health and Information Projects (AHIP) and the Population Council examined the lives of married and unmarried girls in two geopolitical regions of Nigeria, North West and North East. The study, as described in this report, consisted of secondary analysis of …
Girls' Adolescence In Burkina Faso: A Pivot Point For Social Change, Martha Brady, Lydia Saloucou, Erica Chong
Girls' Adolescence In Burkina Faso: A Pivot Point For Social Change, Martha Brady, Lydia Saloucou, Erica Chong
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
As closer attention is paid to the lives of adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa, girls are found to be clearly disadvantaged, compared with their male counterparts. Burkinabé girls are frequently married at a young age, and more than one-third of married girls find themselves in polygamous unions as second or third wives, married to much older men. Understanding and recognizing girls’ realities is an important first step in planning appropriate and meaningful interventions for them. Girls who are unmarried, “promised,” engaged, or married face different constraints and merit different program approaches. This report by the Population Council aims to fill gaps …
Empowering Young Mothers In India: Results Of The First-Time Parents Project, K.G. Santhya, Nicole Haberland
Empowering Young Mothers In India: Results Of The First-Time Parents Project, K.G. Santhya, Nicole Haberland
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In India, sexual activity among girls and young women typically takes place within marriage. Nationally, as many as 30 percent of adolescent girls aged 15–19 are married, presumably sexually active, and under pressure to bear a first child early in the marriage. While sexual activity for the majority of adolescent Indian girls occurs within the socially sanctioned institution of marriage, marital sex is not inherently safe, voluntary, or pleasurable. Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 8 describes the Population Council’s efforts to support married adolescent girls. The Council, in partnership with the Child in Need Institute …
Casamento Infantil No Contexto Da Epidemia Do Vih, Judith Bruce
Casamento Infantil No Contexto Da Epidemia Do Vih, Judith Bruce
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Da forma como a epidemia do VIH cresceu, transformou-se em muitos contextos numa doença de mulheres joven. Na África subsariana, 75% dos 6,2 milhões de jovens com idades entre os 15–24 que vivem com o VIH são mulheres. Ao mesmo tempo, o casamento infantil, apesar de estar a diminuir, continua. Em certos locais africanos, um número elevado de raparigas encontra-se em risco de casarem ainda crianças e muitos milhões de jovens esposas casaram ainda crianças. Para entender melhor estes fenómenos com semelhanças em comum—casamento infantil e epidemia do VIH—o Population Council adoptou uma abordagem em vários níveis. Um nível de …
Child Marriage In The Context Of The Hiv Epidemic, Judith Bruce
Child Marriage In The Context Of The Hiv Epidemic, Judith Bruce
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
As the HIV epidemic has matured, in many settings it has become a disease of young women. In sub-Saharan Africa, 75 percent of the 6.2 million young people aged 15–24 living with HIV are female. At the same time, child marriage, though on the decline, persists. In parts of Africa, large numbers of girls are at risk of child marriage, and many millions of young wives were married as children. To better understand these twin phenomena—child marriage and the HIV epidemic—the Population Council adopted a multilevel approach. One level of investigation examines the effect of child marriage on the epidemic, …
Berhane Hewan ('Light For Eve'): A Program To Support Married And Unmarried Adolescent Girls In Rural Amhara Region, Ethiopia, Population Council
Berhane Hewan ('Light For Eve'): A Program To Support Married And Unmarried Adolescent Girls In Rural Amhara Region, Ethiopia, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Berhane Hewan (meaning “Light for Eve” in Amharic) is a program in rural Amhara region designed to assist unmarried girls by imparting the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to avoid child marriage as well as give support to adolescent girls who are already married. With support from UNFPA, DFID, and the Turner Foundation, the program is implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Sport and the Regional Youth Bureaus, with technical assistance from the Population Council. The program promotes functional literacy, life skills, livelihoods skills, and reproductive health education. In developing the project, the Regional Youth Bureau staff felt …
'She Knew Only When The Garland Was Put Around Her Neck': Findings From An Exploratory Study On Early Marriage In Rajasthan, Population Council
'She Knew Only When The Garland Was Put Around Her Neck': Findings From An Exploratory Study On Early Marriage In Rajasthan, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
In India, despite several policy and program efforts, early marriage persists with considerable variation between and within states. Unraveling the complex drivers of early marriage in particular contexts requires careful site-specific diagnostic research. Whether and how these downward pressures on age at marriage are ameliorated by India's national and state efforts to foster later marriage is not well understood. As noted in this brief, research is required at the community level to understand the extent of actual implementation of various policies and programs intended to prevent early marriage and the extent to which such efforts have found acceptability among parents …
Meeting The Health And Social Needs Of Married Girls In India: The First Time Parents Project's Implementation And Reach, Population Council
Meeting The Health And Social Needs Of Married Girls In India: The First Time Parents Project's Implementation And Reach, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
India has one of the largest populations of married adolescent girls in the world. Despite the high prevalence of early marriage and the distinct and predictable risks these girls and young women face, little is known about the lives of married young women, and little has been done to support them. In response, the Population Council, in partnership with Child in Need Institute and Deepak Charitable Trust, initiated the First-Time Parents project. This project developed and tested an integrated package of health and social interventions that would improve married young women's reproductive and sexual health knowledge and practices, and expand …
She Knew Only When The Garland Was Put Around Her Neck': Findings From An Exploratory Study On Early Marriage In Rajasthan, K.G. Santhya, Nicole Haberland, Ajay Kumar Singh
She Knew Only When The Garland Was Put Around Her Neck': Findings From An Exploratory Study On Early Marriage In Rajasthan, K.G. Santhya, Nicole Haberland, Ajay Kumar Singh
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The Population Council undertook an exploratory, qualitative study in two districts in Rajasthan, India to understand the extent of implementation of various policies and programs intended to prevent early marriage, and the extent to which such efforts have found acceptability among parents and the community. Findings show that adolescent girls had a clear desire to marry after the age of 18 and that they were well aware of what they would have to give up with marriage—their education, childhood, health, and opportunities to explore other interests. Some parents also noted these disadvantages of early marriage, suggesting that beliefs may be …
Marriage And Childbirth As Factors In School Exit: An Analysis Of Dhs Data From Sub-Saharan Africa, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Barbara Mensch
Marriage And Childbirth As Factors In School Exit: An Analysis Of Dhs Data From Sub-Saharan Africa, Cynthia B. Lloyd, Barbara Mensch
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This paper explores the potential importance of marriage and childbirth as determinants of school-leaving in sub-Saharan Africa and identifies some of the common underlying factors that contribute to premature school-leaving and early marriage and childbearing. Results suggests that the reproductive health community should see early marriage as a central area of concern for adolescent reproductive health. Policies that inform parents about the value of starting their children in school on time are likely to have beneficial effects both for grade attainment and for adolescent reproductive health regardless of school quality.
The Changing Context Of Sexual Initiation In Sub-Saharan Africa, Barbara Mensch, Monica J. Grant, Ann K. Blanc
The Changing Context Of Sexual Initiation In Sub-Saharan Africa, Barbara Mensch, Monica J. Grant, Ann K. Blanc
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This working paper investigates the links between changing age at marriage and premarital sexual behavior in 27 sub-Saharan African countries in which Demographic and Health Surveys were conducted between 1994 and 2003. Using multiple-decrement life tables to examine the competing risks of premarital sex and marriage without prior sexual experience, we answer the largely unaddressed question of how reductions in the prevalence of early marriage have affected the likelihood of initiating premarital sex. Our analysis reveals that although the age of first sexual activity has either remained the same or increased, a shift in the context of sexual debut from …