Document Type
Brief
Publication Date
2007
Abstract
As the HIV epidemic has matured, in many settings it has become a disease of young women. In sub-Saharan Africa, 75 percent of the 6.2 million young people aged 15–24 living with HIV are female. At the same time, child marriage, though on the decline, persists. In parts of Africa, large numbers of girls are at risk of child marriage, and many millions of young wives were married as children. To better understand these twin phenomena—child marriage and the HIV epidemic—the Population Council adopted a multilevel approach. One level of investigation examines the effect of child marriage on the epidemic, including on rates of HIV infection among women and girls. A second level seeks to mitigate the significant risks to girls’ well-being and safety that arise from child marriage, and to understand the distinctive risks it brings within the context of the HIV epidemic. Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 11 describes the Council’s multilevel approach.
DOI
10.31899/pgy12.1022
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Bruce, Judith. 2007. "Child marriage in the context of the HIV epidemic," Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief no. 11. New York: Population Council.
Included in
Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, International Public Health Commons
Comments
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