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13.9.2 First Sex<br />

Young people who initiate sex at an early age are typically at higher risk of becoming pregnant or<br />

contracting an STI than young people who initiate sex at a later age. Consistent condom use can reduce<br />

such risks.<br />

Table 13.12 provides information on the percentage of young women and men who have had sexual<br />

intercourse before the ages of 15 and 18 among those who have had sexual intercourse.<br />

Overall, a slightly higher percentage of young men<br />

reported having sex before the age of 15 (19%)<br />

compared with young women (14%). The reverse is<br />

observed when assessing young people who have<br />

had sex before the age of 18. Among young women,<br />

59% reported having sex before the age of 18<br />

compared with 53% of young men (Table 13.12).<br />

Trends: Overall, the percentage of young people<br />

age 15-24 who have had sex by age 15 has decreased<br />

only slightly between 2000 and <strong>2015</strong>-<strong>16</strong> for both<br />

women (from 17% to 14%) and men (from 25% to<br />

19%). The percentage of young people age 18-24<br />

who have had sex by age 18 has decreased only<br />

slightly from 2000 to <strong>2015</strong>-<strong>16</strong>, from 64% to 59%<br />

among young women and from 58% to 53% among<br />

young men. Generally, the percentage of young men<br />

who have had sex by the age of 15 tends to be<br />

slightly higher than their female counterparts and, in<br />

contrast, the percentage of young women who have<br />

had sex by the age of 18 tends to be higher than the<br />

percentage of the young men (Figure 13.10).<br />

Figure 13.10 Trends in age at first sexual<br />

intercourse among young people<br />

Percentage of women and men age 15-24<br />

who had sexual intercourse before age 15<br />

25<br />

17 Women 15 14 14<br />

1<br />

Men<br />

14<br />

22 19<br />

2000 2004 2010 <strong>2015</strong>-<strong>16</strong><br />

Percentage of women and men age 18-24<br />

who had sexual intercourse before age 18<br />

64<br />

Women<br />

58<br />

Men<br />

59 60 59<br />

52 53 53<br />

2000 2004 2010 <strong>2015</strong>-<strong>16</strong><br />

Patterns by background characteristics<br />

• Young women and young men in rural areas are more likely to have initiated sex by age 15 or 18 than<br />

their urban counterparts.<br />

• Among women age 15-24, the percentage of those who had sexual intercourse declines with increasing<br />

level of education, from 26% among women with no education to 3% among those with more than<br />

secondary education. Among men, however, the percentage of those who had sexual intercourse<br />

before the age of 15 is highest in men with primary education. Among women and men age 18-24, the<br />

percentage of those who had sexual intercourse before the age of 18 decreases with increasing level of<br />

education.<br />

• The highest percentage of respondents who have had their first sexual intercourse before age 15 is<br />

highest in the Southern region for both women and men (17% and 21%, respectively). The lowest<br />

percentage of women who have had their first sexual intercourse before age 15 is observed in the<br />

Central region (11%) whereas for men, the lowest percentage is in the Northern region (14%). Similar<br />

trends can be noted with the percentage of respondents who have had their first sexual intercourse<br />

before age 18.<br />

210 • HIV/AIDS-related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviour

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