Child marriage among boys in high-prevalence countries: an analysis of sexual and reproductive health outcomes

Christina Misunas,Claudia Cappa,Colleen Murray Gastón

doi:10.1186/s12914-019-0212-8

Christina Misunas, Claudia Cappa + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-019-0212-8

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Abstract

BackgroundWhile the determinants and impacts of child marriage among girls have been well documented, little research exists on the practice among boys. This paper explores the sociodemographic profile of men who married by age 18 and assesses whether they are more or less advantaged than their peers in terms of their sexual and reproductive health outcomes.MethodsThis analysis used the most recent data from nationally representative household surveys for the 15 countries with the highest prevalence of marriage by age 18 among men aged 20–24 at the time of the survey. The prevalence of child marriage was then explored for the full cohort of men aged 20–49 through descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis. Available reproductive health indicators were explored, comparing men who married during childhood and men who married in adulthood. For the youngest and oldest cohorts, the total number of children fathered and the total ideal number of children were compared based on whether men married by age 18.ResultsFor this subset of countries, the prevalence of child marriage among men aged 20–24 ranges from 8.4 to 27.9%. The practice appears most common among respondents living in the poorest households and in rural areas, and with no education or only primary schooling. Men who married as children appear less likely to have comprehensive knowledge of HIV than their peers who married in adulthood. Little difference among men who married by age 18 and those who married in adulthood was observed regarding knowledge or use of modern methods of contraception. In almost all countries with data, the odds of having fathered three or more children among men aged 20–29 are higher for those who married as children compared to their peers. In four countries, the odds of exceeding one’s ideal family size among men aged 40–49 also appear higher among those who married during childhood compared to men who married at older ages.ConclusionThese results highlight the need for further research to identify drivers of the practice and short- and long-term outcomes for men who married during childhood, specifically concerning fatherhood, fertility preferences, and completed family size.

Highlights

IntroductionThe mere existence of legal instruments prohibiting child marriage adopted by the international community has not been enough to eliminate the practice
Child marriage, defined as a formal marriage or informal union before the exact age 18, has been widely acknowledged as a violation of fundamental human rights by several conventions, treaties, and international agreements, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [1,2,3,4].Yet the mere existence of legal instruments prohibiting child marriage adopted by the international community has not been enough to eliminate the practice
Subsequent analysis provides insight into whether key life outcomes related to sexual and reproductive health and family size differ for men who married as children compared to their peers who married in adulthood

Summary

Introduction

The mere existence of legal instruments prohibiting child marriage adopted by the international community has not been enough to eliminate the practice. Even in some countries with strong legal frameworks prohibiting the practice, implementation of the ban on child marriage is often inconsistent and weak [5]. Despite a general global trend towards later marriage for both sexes [6], the percentage of girls and boys who marry during childhood remains sizeable. An estimated 21.2% of females currently aged 20–24 were first married or in union before age 18; 4.5% of males currently aged 20–24 were married during childhood based on data available for 82 countries [7]. While the determinants and impacts of child marriage among girls have been well documented, little research exists on the practice among boys. This paper explores the sociodemographic profile of men who married by age 18 and assesses whether they are more or less advantaged than their peers in terms of their sexual and reproductive health outcomes

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Conclusion