Child Marriage, Social Isolation, and Implications for HIV Policy
Child marriage: There is substantial variation across the regions of the world
Married adolescents are typified by:
Unprotected Sex Last Week
Sexually Active Girls 15-19
Mean Spouse/Partner Age
Difference, by Woman’s Age at First Marriage
(Currently 25-34)
Child marriage and HIV: Plausibly a perfect storm of risk
Child Brides: Unable to negotiate condom use, even when pregnancy is not desired
Higher HIV prevalence among
married adolescent girls
Four overlapping clusters of concern for policy activity and public education: