 Articles- Premarital Sex, Procreation, and HIV Risk in Nigeria
Daniel Jordan Smith is Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Population Studies, Department of Anthropology, Box 1921, 128 Hope Street, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912. E-mail: Daniel_J_Smith@brown.edu. In Nigeria, research has documented a significant disparity between people’s knowledge of HIV/AIDS and the extent to which they act to protect themselves. Data from a survey of 863 adolescent and unmarried young adults, in-depth interviews, and participant observation are combined in this study to explain some of this discrepancy. Young migrants appear to make sexual and contraceptive decisions in relation to gender norms and attitudes concerning procreation at least as much as in relation to fear of disease. Assessments of current and potential partners, choices about whether or not to have sex, and decisions about whether or not to use condoms are influenced by shared cultural values regarding the importance of parenthood. These cultural conceptions of parenthood are gender-specific and put men and women in different negotiating positions with regard to sex and contraception. (Studies in Family Planning 2004; 35[4]: 223–235)
- The Role of Conflict in the Rapid Fertility Decline in Eritrea and Prospects for the Future
Ann K. Blanc is Demographer, Blancroft Research International, 260 West Broadway #6D, New York, NY 10013. E-mail: ablanc@blancroft.com. The large fertility decline observed in Eritrea between the mid-1990s and the early part of the new century is examined using data from two detailed national household surveys. Little evidence is found that this decrease in fertility signals the beginning of a sustained decline. Rather, the results indicate that one of the outcomes of the military mobilization and displacement associated with the 1998–2000 border conflict with Ethiopia was a steep reduction in the proportion of women exposed to the risk of pregnancy. Part of this reduction was due to delayed age at marriage, but it came about largely because married women were less likely to be living with their husbands in 2002 than in 1995. Projections of the number of births that could occur if women implement their stated reproductive intentions and a postwar “baby boom” results show that the health system may be facing an increased demand for child health services over the next several years. (Studies in Family Planning 2004; 35[4]: 236–245).
- The Sociocultural Context of Condom Use Within Marriage in Rural Lebanon
Andrzej Kulczycki is Assistant Professor, Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 320 Ryals School of Public Health, 1665 University Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35294–0022. E-mail: andrzej@uab.edu. Prevalence rates for condom use are low across the Middle East despite limited alternate contraceptive options and growing awareness of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS. Virtually no research exists to explain this situation and to guide policy development or effective interventions. An analysis of 25 focus-group discussions with married women and men, interviews with service providers, and a survey of 589 women of childbearing age in a rural district of southern Lebanon reveal that a broad and complex set of sociocultural factors influence condom use. In the study area, 7 percent of married women currently use condoms, 24 percent reported ever use, and inconsistent use is common. Condoms are preferred primarily for their lack of physiological side effects. Five factors were found to impede method adoption and sustained use. These include various encumbering beliefs, reduced sexual pleasure, adverse experiences, gender-related fears and tensions, and a residual social stigma attached to condoms. Several strategies are suggested to increase and improve condom use. These issues will assume greater importance as fertility declines further in the region, demand for contraception continues to increase, and STDs and HIV/AIDS become more deeply rooted, as has occurred in other parts of the world. (Studies in Family Planning 2004; 35[4]: 246–260).
Reports - Communities, Opportunities, and Adolescents’ Sexual Behavior in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Carol E. Kaufman is Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Mail Stop F800, Post Office Box 6508, Aurora, CO 80045–0508. E-mail: carol.kaufman@uchsc.edu. Shelley Clark is Assistant Professor, University of Chicago. Ntsiki Manzini is Junior Researcher and Julian May is Associate Professor, University of Natal-Durban, South Africa. In 2002, the prevalence of HIV among South African clinic attendees under the age of 20 was 15 percent, suggesting a correspondingly high level of unprotected sex and risky sexual behavior. Past research focused on the dynamics of individuals’ and partners’ sexual decisionmaking without accounting for the larger context in which such decisions are made. Do adolescents’ opportunities for schooling, work, and other community activities make a difference? This study uses data collected from a representative sample of young people living in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, to explore these questions. Logit analyses show that for girls, higher levels of education reduced the probability of having had sex in the 12 months prior to the survey, and average wages were positively associated with condom use. Greater participation in community sports increased risk-taking behaviors among boys but decreased them among girls. Within the household, education of adults had a positive effect on condom use for both boys and girls. (Studies in Family Planning 2004; 35[4]: 261–274)
- How Family Planning Ideas Are Spread Within Social Groups in Rural Malawi
Valerie A. Paz Soldan is Research Assistant Professor, International Health and Development Department, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Calle Navarra 382, Urbanización Higuereta, Lima 33, Peru. E-mail: vpazsold@tulane.edu. Using data from in-depth interviews conducted between March and June 2002 in a rural district of Malawi, this study explores how family planning attitudes and practices spread among members of social groups. Gender differentials are found in how people determine other group members’ practices: Men “knew” about such practices from their observations of others’ family size and child spacing, whereas women’s knowledge was based on their conversations with other women. The discussion topics relating to family planning also varied by sex: Men spoke about the pros and cons of limiting family size, whereas women spoke in detail about types of contraceptive methods, where to get them, their side effects, and covert contraceptive use. For men and women, the main trigger for family planning discussions was gossip. Whereas, generally, women first heard about family planning at the hospital, men stated that their first source of information was the radio or health-drama group. (Studies in Family Planning 2004; 35[4]: 275–290)
Data - Jordan 2002: Results from the Population and Family Health Survey
- Vietnam 2002: Results from the Demographic and Health Survey
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