Meserete Hiwot ( Base of Life ): Supporting married adolescents with HIV prevention and reproductive health in rural Ethiopia

To better understand the lives of adolescents in rural Ethiopia, researchers conducted a survey of adolescents in Amhara Region. The study found that many girls experienced early, unwanted arranged marriages, resulting in early unwanted sexual initiation and pregnancy, as well as social isolation in new marital homes. Based on the findings of this study, the Population Council and the Ethiopian Ministry of Youth and Sports created a program to support girls who are married early, with a view to increasing their social networks, improving their ability to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, and supporting their reproductive health. This program brief reports on the survey data collected before the intervention took place. Another survey will be undertaken in the same areas after 30 months of project implementation to measure changes in girls\u27 knowledge, health-seeking behavior, and levels of familial support