Causes of early initiation into sexual intercourse among adolescents (15-19) in Eastern Uganda
Abstract
Globally, statistics show that 16% of both men and women were reported to have been initiated to sexual intercourse as early as before their 16th birthday (UNICEF 2014). Globally, early sexual practices are reported among 7.3 million of secondary school going teenagers aged 13 and 19 years (UNFPA, 2009). It also indicated that about 250 million children initiated to sexual intercourse before 15 years, therefore more than one in three started engaging themselves into sexual intercourse when they were still in their childhood stage. Almost everywhere, sexual activity begins for most men and women in their later teenage years (15-19 years), but regional and sex variations between men and women are substantial. For women, median age at first intercourse is low in regions in which early marriage is the norm for example in South Asia, Central, West and East Africa.
Early sexual initiation is closely related to HIV virus mostly found in the above countries mentioned (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2000). In most African and Asian countries men and women start to have sex later than women (Martin, Steven P, 2002). Until better prevention methods are available, the only way to ensure freedom from the risk of HIV infection for many people is to postpone sexual intercourse when still at an early age (Prausnitz S, Goldbaum G, and R. chopak, 2011). It was estimated worldwide that 12-14 million adolescent pregnancies occur in developing countries and Sub Saharan Africa each year. Report said that between 10% and 79%of all women’s births were below age of 20 and they were unwanted (WHO, 2008)