Sexual Initiation among Adolescent Women and Men: Trends and Differentials in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper examines trends in adolescent sexual initiation in sub-Saharan Africa, with emphasis on differentials in social determinants across gender and contexts. Data are drawn from Demographic and Health Surveys in eight countries that had at least two surveys conducted approximately five years apart and each with distinct questionnaires for women and men regardless of marital status. The main analytical tool is multivariate logistic models using a generalised estimating equation to consider the probability of a young man or woman having first sex during adolescence. In some countries observed declines over time in the level of adolescent sexual activity were not statistically significant after taking into account changes in background characteristics, especially education. Important gender differentials were also found. While secondary schooling was consistently associated with lower risk of early sex among women, the relationship was often in the opposite direction among men. Influences of other socio-demographic and community status variables were generally less significant