State of World Population 2012 - UNFPA Haiti

tTeenager inMadagascar listens toa talk about safe sex.©Panos/Piers Benatar25 has decreased compared to earlier generations(Lloyd, ed, 2005; Greene and Merrick,n.d.). These trends have led to an increase inthe prevalence of premarital sex among youngpeople. In developed countries, there has beena clear increase in the number of years betweenfirst intercourse and marriage (Mensch, Grantand Blanc, 2005). The time between first sexualintercourse and living with a partner is longer formen (three to six years) than for women (up totwo years).The increased time interval between age atfirst sex and age at first marriage have implicationsfor the sexual health risks and needs ofyoung people, particularly for school-aged girls.A recent cross-country analysis of 39 countriesfound that—with the exceptions of Benin andMali—unmarried girls (ages 15 to 17) whoattend school are considerably less likely to havehad premarital sex, as compared to their outof-schoolpeers (Biddlecom et al., 2008; Lloyd,2010). Even though individual, familial, andsocial factors influence sexual behaviour andschool participation, these findings underscorethe protective effects that an education confersagainst adolescent pregnancy and its adverseoutcomes. Evidence from five countries in WestAfrica suggests that pregnancy and early marriagemay be consequences, rather than causes, of girlsdropping out of school in some settings (Lloydand Mensch, 2008).Millions of young people have sex before theirparents acknowledge it or before institutionsrespond to their needs. These young people—married and unmarried—also need services toavoid unintended pregnancy and prevent sexuallytransmitted infections including HIV but oftendo not have access.Young people’s sexual activity challenges theemphasis on abstinence and the view that sexshould occur strictly for procreation. The realityis that many young people are not abstinent,and their sexual activity is not motivated by adesire to have children. Qualitative assessmentsin sub-Saharan Africa suggest that sexually activeunmarried young people are generally not seekingto become pregnant (Cleland, Ali and Shah,2006). Furthermore, married young people donot necessarily wish to become pregnant at ayoung age or, if they have already had a child,some wish to delay a second pregnancy.Given young people’s desire to delay childbearingand prevent disease, the term “familyplanning” may seem irrelevant to their needs.Recent research touches upon this key point:Many young people can be interested in contraceptionto prevent unwanted pregnancy and toprotect against sexually transmitted infections,50 CHAPTER 3: CHALLENGES IN EXTENDING ACCESS TO EVERYONE