Sexual activity before marriage in sub-Saharan Africa

Throughout sub-Saharan Africa there is notable concern about the consequences of premarital sexual intercourse, such as illegal abortions and pregnancy-related school dropouts, and the potential risk of HIV infection. Using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys, the authors investigated sexual activity among never-married women aged 15-24 in Botswana, Burundi, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, and Zimbabwe. While there are important cross-country differentials, in most countries the majority of unmarried adolescents have been sexually active. Contrary to the common belief that teenage premarital sexual activity is a new phenomenon caused by socioeconomic development, particularly Western education, the data show that in most countries sexual activity among unmarried adolescents was also common in the past, and that increases across cohorts have occurred mostly in countries where the prevalence was already high. For most countries, there is little support for theories claiming that education is associated with loose morals and high levels of premarital sexual activity. The findings highlight the importance of family-planning services for unmarried adolescents and of family-life education in primary schools to reach children before they become sexually active.