Abstract

The majority of sexually active adolescent girls in developing countries are married. This statement may come as a surprise to many in the reproductive health field because so much attention has been focused on sexual activity among unmarried adolescents. While striving to meet the needs of all adolescents, we must recognize that married adolescent girls represent a particularly vulnerable—and largely invisible— population. For example, they are highly vulnerable to significant reproductive health problems, including pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV infection, as well as non-sexually transmitted reproductive tract infections (RTIs). They suffer disadvantages in other areas as well— for example, they are less likely than unmarried girls to complete their education. Yet, despite their large numbers, elevated risks, and many unmet needs, married adolescent girls have rarely been the target of programmatic efforts. Data in developing countries quantify the proportion of females who marry as adolescents. This proportion varies by region and country, but is high across the board— for example, in the mid-1990s the percentage of women aged 25–29 who married before

Citations