Belgian Women Research Articles

Experiences of Non-consensual Sex of Older Adult Men and Women in Norway, Denmark, Belgium and Portugal

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of non-consensual sex in older adult men and women across Europe, and to find out what variables predict such experiences in different European countries. Data were collected using probability samples from populations, aged 60–75 years, in Norway (N = 1271), Denmark (N = 1045), Belgium (N = 991), and Portugal (N = 509), using postal questionnaires. Around 5% of men included in the study, in all of the countries, reported non-consensual sexual experiences. Non-consensual sexual experiences were higher in gay/bisexual men when compared against heterosexual men. Partnered men had a lower likelihood of childhood non-consensual sex than those without partners. Compared against men with primary education, those who had undergone tertiary education had a lower likelihood of having experienced adult non-consensual sex. For women, rates of reporting non-consensual sex before and after the age of 18 years were lowest in Portugal (2% and 6%, respectively) and highest in Norway (9% and 11%, respectively). Compared with women with no religious affiliations, protestant women showed a lower likelihood of having experienced childhood non-consensual sex. In comparison to Norwegian women, Belgian and Portuguese women were observed to have had a lower likelihood of having experienced childhood non-consensual sex. Compared to women who were non-partnered, had no religious affiliation, or had primary education, women who were partnered, Roman Catholic, and had higher education showed a lower likelihood of having experienced non-consensual sex in adulthood. Experience of non-consensual sex correlated significantly, albeit weakly, with greater levels of both anxiety and depression, decreased subjective well-being, lower perceived intimacy with one’s partner, and higher feelings of loneliness.

Trends in Belgian cause-specific mortality by migrant origin between the 1990s and the 2000s

BackgroundBelgium has a large migrant community that is increasingly ageing. As migrants may have faced environmental and social exposures before, during and after migration, they may have experienced an accelerated epidemiological transition. Studying mortality differentials between the migrant and native population may therefore allow for a better understanding of the aetiology of diseases. While many studies have assessed migrant mortality, few have looked into the role of gender or the trend over time. Therefore, this study aims to probe into mortality differences between the native and migrant population for all major causes of death (COD) during the 1990s and 2000s. We will discriminate between all major migrant groups and men and women as they have different migration histories.MethodsIndividually linked data of the Belgian Census, the National Register and death certificates for the periods 1991–1997 and 2001–2008 were used. Migrant origin was based on both own and parents’ origin, hereby maximizing the population with migrant roots. We included native Belgians and migrants from the largest migrant groups aged 25 to 65 years. Both absolute and relative mortality differences by migrant origin were calculated for the most common COD.ResultsWe generally observed a migrant advantage for overall, cause-specific and cancer-specific mortality, with infection-related cancer mortality being the only exception. The effect was particularly strong for lifestyle-related COD, non-western migrants, and men. Over time, mortality declined among native Belgian men and women, yet remained stable for several migrant groups. This converging trend was largely due to smoking and reduced reproductive behaviour among migrants.ConclusionsThe migrant mortality advantage stresses that there is room for improvement in the area of health in Belgium. Since the largest differences between native Belgians and migrants were observed for lifestyle-related diseases, and there is a tendency towards convergence of mortality over time, primary prevention tackling the most vulnerable groups remains crucial. Moreover, efforts should be made to ensure equal access to health care among the social and cultural strata.

War trauma among Belgian refugee women in Scotland in the First World War

ABSTRACTThis article analyses the evidence for war trauma suffered by First World War Belgian female refugee civilians using a range of primary sources which describe the period of their residence in Scotland. Evidence of such war trauma is explored by analysing the descriptions of symptoms and applicant behaviour for a cohort of case studies of women (and several children and men) which have been constructed from the detailed personal information provided in Poor Law admission registers and patient case notes from psychiatric and general hospital stays. The individual case histories discussed are considered in relation to internationally recognised definitions of war trauma. The article places the original primary source findings in the context of the vast traditional historiography on ‘shell shock’ and the more recent writing on female civilians in war. This article sheds fresh light on historical debates about human security in the First World War, gender issues in war, understandings of war trauma, and family life on the home front.

Emotional intimacy and sexual well-being in aging European couples: a cross-cultural mediation analysis.

Sexual health research tends to focus on problematic aspects of sexuality. This also applies to research on sexuality in older men and women, where attention has been primarily on the negative impact of aging. To contribute to the emerging interest in positive (successful) sexual aging, we aimed to: (1) further validate a recently developed 5-dimensional measure of sexual well-being (Štulhofer et al. in J Happiness Stud, 2018. 10.1007/s10902-018-0049-1) and (2) explore the structure of associations among emotional intimacy, frequency of sexual intercourse, and sexual well-being in older European couples. Using data from a 2016 community-based survey of 218 Norwegian, 207 Danish, 135 Belgian, and 117 Portuguese couples aged 60-75years, we applied actor-partner interdependence structural modeling approach to confirm the validity of the sexual well-being measure in couples and explore a path analytic model in which the frequency of sexual intercourse was hypothesized to mediate the association between emotional intimacy and sexual well-being. Although we observed consistent and significant actor effects, with emotional intimacy and frequency of sexual intercourse predicting both male and female partners' sexual well-being across countries, the proposed mediation was observed only in Norwegian and Portuguese men and Norwegian and Belgian women. Partner effects were gender-specific; male partner's emotional intimacy was related to his female partner's reported frequency of sex and sexual well-being but not the other way around. Apart from being one of the few cross-cultural assessments of successful sexual aging, this study's findings support the use of a new sexual well-being measure in research on older adults' sexuality.

‘I am expected to say something. I know not what’ (Vivanti 1918, 146): silence and working through in rape narratives of the First World War

ABSTRACTThis article contributes to scholarly debates about sexual violence in the First World War, providing a psychoanalytic reading of silence as a topos in wartime narratives that portray the rape and resulting pregnancies of French and Belgian women. It locates the hegemonic silencing of women in a wartime debate that mainly took place in France and was concerned with the ‘child of the enemy’ and its mother. In the light of this particular historical context, the focus turns to a psychoanalytical re-examination of rape narratives. The work unpicks fore-drawn conclusions about these war stories being merely propagandist responses to news of enemy barbarism, linking traditional psychoanalysis with the specific function of the ‘non-dit’ first as a fictional, psychodynamic response to the experience of rape. Second, and driving the analysis forward further still, it shows that the ineffable in some narratives aberrantly brings to light the need for the articulation of memory, because re-finding their voice ultimately enables female characters to overcome their trauma.

The Paradox of Choice: Partner Choices among Highly Educated Turkish Belgian Women

The Paradox of Choice: Partner Choices among Highly Educated Turkish Belgian Women

Early labour market trajectories of intermediate and second generation Turkish and Maghreb women in Belgium

This study focuses on early labour market trajectories of Turkish and Maghreb origin women who graduated in Belgium (Flanders) between 2005 and 2016. In contrast to available literature that largely focuses on employment positions at one point, we assess whether there are ethnic differentials in entering a sustainable employment spell, operationalised as an employment spell of at least four consecutive quarters, leading to a gross monthly wage of at least 82% of the gross Belgian minimum wage and a work intensity of at least 40% of a full-time position in the fourth quarter of the employment spell. Subsequently, we consider ethnic differentials in the characteristics of the first sustainable employment spell (type of employment, type of contract and gross wage quintile), as well as the length of the sustainable employment spell. Using longitudinal microdata, we examine how and to what extent these differentials can be explained by individual, previous employment, household and parental characteristics. Results indicate that, compared to native women, Turkish and Maghreb origin women are less likely to enter and more likely to exit a first sustainable employment spell. These differentials with natives are largest for the intermediate generation and are reproduced and reinforced over labour market careers. Although ethnic differentials diminish after controlling for individual, previous employment, household and parental characteristics, substantial differences remain.

Exploratory analysis of the human breast DNA methylation profile upon soymilk exposure

Upon soy consumption, isoflavone metabolites attain bioactive concentrations in breast tissue possibly affecting health. Though in vitro epigenetic activity of soy metabolites has been described, the in vivo impact on the epigenome is largely unknown. Therefore, in this case-control study, the breast glandular tissue DNA methylome was explored in women undergoing an aesthetic breast reduction. After a run-in phase, 10 generally healthy Belgian or Dutch women received soymilk for 5 days. MethylCap-seq methylation profiles were compared with those of 10 matched controls. Isoflavones and their microbial metabolites were quantified in urine, serum, and glandular breast tissue (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) and 17β-estradiol in glandular breast tissue (immunoassay). Global DNA methylation levels were obtained for 6 cases and 5 controls using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Although lower MethylCap-seq coverages were observed, mass spectrometry results and computational LINE-1 methylation analysis did not provide evidence supporting global methylation alterations upon treatment. At a false discovery rate of 0.05, no differentially methylated loci were identified. Moreover, a set of previously identified loci was specifically tested, but earlier reported results could not be validated. In conclusion, after a 5-day soymilk treatment, no major general epigenetic reprogramming in breast tissue could be found in this exploratory study.

Differences of patients\u2019 characteristics in acute type A aortic dissection \u2013 surgical data from Belgian and Japanese centers-

BackgroundIt is well known that there are major differences between the Japanese and Western population regarding the incidence of ischemic heart disease and stroke. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences of patients’ characteristics between Belgian and Japanese cohort with acute type A aortic dissection.MethodsIn 487 patients (297 male patients, mean age 61.9 ± 12.2 yrs) who underwent surgery for acute type A aortic dissection, baseline preoperative and intraoperative data were collected. Belgian patients (n = 237) were compared to Japanese patients (n = 250). Clinical data included patient demographics, history, status at presentation, imaging study results and intraoperative findings.ResultsThe Japanese cohort had significantly more women (48.8% vs. 28.7%, p < 0.0001), lower BMI (24.2 vs. 26.4, p < 0.0001) and lower prevalence of hypertension (49.2% vs. 65.8%, p = 0.0002). More DeBakey type I dissections and less type III dissections with retrograde extension were reported in Belgium than in Japan (77.2% vs. 48.4%, p < 0.0001, 3.4% vs. 38.7%, p < 0.0001, respectively). More entries were found in the ascending aorta (78.5% vs. 58.5%, p < 0.0001) and aortic arch (24.9% vs. 13.7%, p = 0.0018) in Belgian patients than in Japanese patients, who had more entries in the descending aorta or undetected entries.ConclusionsIn acute type A aortic dissection, Belgian patients reveal striking differences from Japanese patients regarding gender distribution, entry tear location and type of dissection. Japanese women are more likely to develop acute type A aortic dissection than Belgian women. (234 words).

Looking for a Family Man? Norms for Men Are Toppling in Heterosexual Relationships

Gender norms indicate that men should be agentic and work-oriented rather than communal and family-oriented. Yet, this traditional expectation conflicts with findings that communion is highly valued in romantic partners. Moreover, because more women in industrialized countries are pursuing careers, they may increasingly seek family-oriented partners to share the second shift of family tasks. Investigating the attractiveness of communal, family-oriented men, we show that 87 female college students in Belgium evaluate more family-oriented men as generally more attractive (Study 1) and that especially college women in Belgium with high work ambitions seek communion and family orientation in ideal partners (Study 2, n = 224). Lastly, women in 198 Belgian heterosexual dual-earning couples are more satisfied with their lives and experience less work and family conflict the more their partner indicates that he is oriented toward his close family (Study 3). Together, our findings outline the contextualized nature of norms and add to knowledge on norm change, showing how gender equality may be fed through romantic relationships. Moreover, our findings suggest the importance of exploring men’s family orientations in couples therapy, and they call for counselors, as well as policymakers and Human Resources practitioners, to guide men in times of norm change to enable men to be family-oriented and to offer family-friendly work policies.

“Girls were seen crying when soldiers departed.” Belgian and French women and German soldiers: transgressive relationships under the gaze of the occupied population

ABSTRACTBetween 1914 and 1918, the German army occupied Belgium and large parts of France. One important feature of the occupation was the gender imbalance and, as such, these French and Belgian territories were often the theatre of encounters between the occupation soldiers and local women. Intimate relationships among them were not uncommon: one can find comments about them in two thirds of the diaries kept by people living under the German occupation. This article is based on the analysis of a corpus of 110 such diaries, revealing the way people perceived and judged these relations, but also the variations in this perception, geographical, chronological, social or gendered. Some of these diaries – especially when written by young women – also provide clues about different aspects (like harassment or occupation languor) of the ‘psychological soil’ in which these relations could emerge. In occupied France and Belgium most people considered these relationships to be appalling from a patriotic and moral point of view, and their sheer number was viewed as a concern, but some diarists tried to understand the origins of the phenomenon. The different interpretations suggested explanations such as gender, class, age, education, the length of the conflict or misery, but rarely demonstrated empathy for those who were called ‘femmes à Boches’ (‘women for the Huns’). Prostitution flourished from the start of the occupation and was completely at odds with the standards emanating from the “occupied war culture”. This rise provoked an outcry and disgust among the population: its expansion and its association with the occupier inflamed its visibility in public space, making it partly inhospitable to the occupied people. Weddings, in contrast, were extremely rare, and only reported in a few diaries. This quasi absence of formalized relations did not prevent the birth of numerous children born to a French or Belgian woman and a German soldier. These babies were generally officially recorded as having an ‘unknown father’ and were not welcome in the community, despite the anxieties generated by a drop in the birth rate during the occupation period. With the rise in sexual encounters between occupation soldiers and local women, venereal diseases became a common concern to both the occupiers and those occupied. During the first winter of the occupation, measures were taken by the German and local authorities to try to stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Centers specialized in the (forced) treatment of women infected by venereal disease were created by the occupying authorities. These centers were sometimes nicknamed ‘parc à poules’ (‘chicken parks’) by the occupied population, ashamed of their very existence, but eager to see the ‘purification’ of the public space through the arrest of prostitutes and infected women. All in all, the various forms of intimate relationships were more often reported in the Operations- und Etappengebiet, close to the front, than on the territory of the general-government, where the density of the German presence was lower. But everywhere, these relationships – generally regarded as venal sexuality – aroused animosity and led to these women being ostracised.

Raising citizens in ‘mixed’ family setting: mothering techniques of Filipino and Thai migrants in Belgium

As states increasingly regulate ‘mixed’ family formation, self-positioning has become central to the lives of migrant spouses, including women. To understand this process, the present article investigates the mothering techniques of Filipino and Thai migrant women in Belgium, that is, the decisions, actions and ways of being they consciously enact in response to state policies ‘here’ and/or 'there' to secure the mother–child bond in space and time. Interviews and observations reveal these women’s main techniques: obtaining Belgian nationality for themselves, prioritising a single nationality (Belgian) for their children and staying at home (in the case of Filipino migrant women) or working (in the case of Thai women). This self-positioning sets these women’s own path and prepare their children’s route towards full, active membership in the nation. Mothering appears therefore as a fertile site of citizenship, which from afar echoes the public–private divide but in close-up reveals the porosity of such dichotomy.

Low omega-3 index values and monounsaturated fatty acid levels in early pregnancy: an analysis of maternal erythrocytes fatty acids

BackgroundIt is unanimously recognized that the maternal nutritional status at the pregnancy onset influence both short-term and long-term health of the mother and offspring. Among several nutrients, LCPUFA, particularly from the omega-3 family, are of utmost importance. This study was carried out to determine fatty acids profile of maternal erythrocyte membranes in early pregnancy and to identify potential determinants impacting on this status.MethodsA cohort of 122 healthy women with a singleton pregnancy was included. Fatty acids were analyzed using gas chromatography. Because of the lack of cutoff values, reference ranges were used to determine fatty acids categories.ResultsOf concern, our data revealed low monounsaturated and long-chain omega-3 fatty acid status in most participants. More than 75% of Belgian pregnant women exhibited Pal, AO and EPA levels as well as IOM3 values below the laboratory reference ranges. Higher DHA concentrations and IOM3 values were found among foreign-nationality participants, non-smokers and physically active women. With regard to dietary factors, omega-3 supplements and diet seem to be complementary since DHA from supplements (but not from diet) and EPA from diet (but not from supplements) were found to be associated with higher concentrations of DHA and EPA, respectively.ConclusionsOur study presents evidence demonstrating that the fatty acid status of most early pregnant women is far from being optimal based on the admitted general reference values. Clinicians should be advice to carefully evaluate and improve this status to guarantee the best possible outcome for both the mother and the baby.

Translation, Adaptation, and Preliminary Validation of Dacakis and Davies' “Transsexual Voice Questionnaire (Male to Female)” in French

This study examines the subjective portion of the assessment and specifically the self-assessment questionnaire. There is no French-language questionnaire designed to identify the issues facing people who want voice feminization and quantify the impact of their voice disorder on their daily lives. We present a translation and adaption into French of the questionnaire developed by Dacakis et al [6]. This work follows the World Health Organization recommendations [12] regarding translation. Thirty-six Belgian and French trans women took part in this study. The results show excellent repeatability and reliability, while the construct validity measures show that the items correlate with six areas of concern for trans women identified by Davies and Johnson [7] in a previous study. The domains are the following: effect of voice on ease of social interaction, effect of voice on emotions, relationship between voice and gender identity, effort and concentration required to produce voice, physical aspects of voice production, and pitch. Concurrent validity could not be measured owing to lack of sufficiently detailed stories. The psychometric properties of the French version of the questionnaire are acceptable. The questionnaire can be used as is in daily clinical practice.

Lifecourses, pensions and poverty among elderly women in Belgium: interactions between family history, work history and pension regulations – CORRIGENDUM

Lifecourses, pensions and poverty among elderly women in Belgium: interactions between family history, work history and pension regulations – CORRIGENDUM

Human papilloma virus infection in HIV-infected women in Belgium: implications for prophylactic vaccines within this subpopulation.

Although high-risk (HR) human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is the primary causative factor for cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions and invasive cervical cancer, the epidemiology of potentially HR (pHR) and low-risk HPV still remains to be elucidated in HIV-infected women. In addition, the synergistic potential of the multiplicity of HPV infections harboured renders it difficult to model the impact of vaccines. This cross-sectional analysis of HIV-infected women explores the epidemiology of abnormal cytology, thereby profiling and pairing pHR/HR HPV genotypes. This cross-sectional analysis reports the findings of 593 HIV-infected women, who underwent a cytological examination and HPV genotyping. A logistic regression model was fitted to adjust for age and coinfection with pHR/HR HPV genotypes. In the 143 women with abnormal cytology, a multiple pHR/HR HPV genotype prevalence of 64.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 44.6-57.6%] was observed. A combined prevalence of HPV 16 and HPV 18 of 29.6% (95% CI: 22.2-37.8%) was found. HPV 6 and HPV 66 were found in two cases of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions as stand-alone genotypes and HPV 53 in a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion case. Pairing involving HPV 31 with HPV 16 and HPV 58 was found in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion cases. Significant associations were observed between abnormal cytology, multiple HPV, HPV 39 and HPV 53 [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.02; P=0.01; 95% CI: 1.2-3.5; aOR: 3.8; P=0.01; 95% CI: 1.4-10.7; and aOR: 0.5; P=0.03; 95% CI: 0.2-0.9, respectively]. Coinfection with pHR/HR HPV genotypes HPV 39 and 53 was significantly associated with abnormal cytology. Research into the imputed role of HPV 31 in pairings, low-risk and pHR HPV genotypes in HIV-infected women is warranted.

Contribution of chronic conditions to functional limitations using a multinomial outcome: results for the older population in Belgium and Brazil

BackgroundThe global phenomenon of population ageing is creating new challenges in both high and middle income countries, as functional limitations are expected to increase with age. The attribution method has been proposed to identify which conditions contribute most to disability using cross-sectional data. Although the original method was based on binary outcomes, we recently proposed an extension to multinomial responses, since different disability levels are often investigated in surveys. This is the first application of the extended method to evaluate differences in the contribution of chronic conditions to functional limitations in the older population of Brazil and Belgium.MethodsRepresentative data from individuals aged ≥65 years who participated in the 2008 or 2013 Health Interview Surveys in Belgium (N = 4521) or in the 2008 National Household Sample Survey in Brazil (N = 28,437) were analysed. Individuals were classified as without, moderate or severe functional limitations, based on three activities of daily living: eating, showering, and toileting. Six chronic conditions common to the surveys – diabetes, heart diseases, musculoskeletal conditions, depression, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancer – were included in the analysis. Separate multinomial additive hazards models by gender for each country were fitted.ResultsThe prevalence of moderate functional limitations was larger in men in Brazil (8.4%) compared to Belgium (6.0%) and similar in women (approximately 12.0%). Conversely, the severe prevalence in men was similar in the two countries (around 8.0%) and higher in women from Belgium (16.6%) than from Brazil (9.1%). Musculoskeletal conditions were the main contributors to the prevalence of functional limitations in men and women in Belgium but only in men and women with moderate functional limitations in Brazil. Depression and heart diseases contributed most to the severe prevalence of functional limitations in men and women in Brazil, respectively.ConclusionsOur findings provide a better understanding of differences in the prevalence of different levels of functional limitations in Brazil and Belgium. These differences can be related to differences in socioeconomic conditions, health care access and quality, disease diagnosis, stage of epidemiology transition, life expectancy, and the prevalence of lifestyle risk factors in the two countries.

Beauty Ideals from Reality Television and Young Women’s Tanning Behavior: An Internalization and Self-Objectification Perspective

The current cross-sectional study among 444 young Belgian women (Mage = 20.08; SD = 0.91) examined the influence of reality television exposure on tanning behavior, which is known to be a risk factor for the development of skin cancer among young women. In addition, it was explored whether the internalization of sun tan ideals from media content and self-objectification could explain this association. As such, this study introduced body image perspectives into media health research. A structural equation model revealed that watching reality television was related to the internalization of sun tan ideals and self-objectification. In turn, the internalization of sun tan ideals and self-objectification related to exposure to harmful UV radiation. This study therefore provides evidence for the explanatory value of both mechanisms in the relationship between reality television and UV exposure. Implications for skin cancer prevention campaigns are discussed.

O-27 Cross-sectional study evaluating pregnancy related use of vitamins and medication in belgium (previm-study)

Background Medication use during pregnancy is ex-tremely common and has increased over the past decades.1–3 Unfortunately, no Belgian data are available on the number and type of products used. The aim of the PREVIM-study (Pregnancy related use of vitamins and medication) is therefore to provide a detailed overview of the prevalence of different types of health products’ use among Belgian pregnant women. Methods All pregnant women, ≥18 years, attending the obstetrics department of the University Hospitals Leuven and understanding Dutch, French or English were asked to complete an online web-survey once between No-vember 2016 and February 2017 (cross-sectional study). The questionnaire consisted of sociodemographic and pregnancy-related questions, questions about the use of health products and questions about medication beliefs and information desire. Support from a study collabo-rator was available. The questionnaire could be finished at home if necessary. The questionnaire was linked with a database consisting of more than 100 000 pictures of available health products in Belgium. A draft Dutch ver-sion was pilot tested in ten pregnant women and the final version was translated into English and French. Approv-al of the Ethics Committee was obtained; participants signed informed consent prior to the study. Results In total, 379 pregnant women (40,4%0–13 w, 26,4%14–27 w, 33,2%28–40 w), mean age 32 years (range 18–48), participated in the study. Most women were pro-fessionally active (88.9%), of which one-fifth was working in health care. In 14.5% of cases, the pregnancy was the result of a fertility treatment. Almost all women (98,2%) had used a health product in the preceding week; 86.0% had used folic acid or a pregnancy-specific multivitamin; 52% had used a prescription or OTC medication reg-istered in Belgium. In 53.8% of those, it concerned one medicine; 3.56% had used four or more medicines. 64.1% of pregnant women indicated to have used alcohol in the three months preceding the pregnancy; 12.4% were at that time smokers and 2.6% used drugs. Only 34.8% of women mentioned to have changed life style before pregnancy. 91.6% of smokers stopped smoking at the time they realised they were pregnant or later during pregnancy, while 89,6% of alcohol drinkers did so. 6.1% of women had still smoked cigarettes in the week preced-ing the survey; 5.5% had used alcohol and 0.53% were substance-users. Conclusion Preliminary data from this cross-section-al study show that almost all Belgian pregnant women used one or more health products in the week preceding the survey. Only one third of women adapted life style in the months before pregnancy; most women who quitted smoking or drinking alcohol did it too late.

Partner Choice and the Transition to Parenthood for Second-Generation Women of Turkish and Moroccan Origin in Belgium.

Studies on fertility among second-generation migrant women across Europe have mainly treated the second generation as a rather homogenous group, not linking and distinguishing fertility patterns by type of partner. This study investigates how and to what extent the origin and generation of the partner (endogamous or exogamous as well as diversity in endogamy) of Turkish and Moroccan second-generation women in Belgium is related to first-birth rates. We distinguish three types of partnerships: those in an endogamous union with a first-generation partner, those in an endogamous union with a second-generation partner, and those in an exogenous union where the partner is of native Belgian origin. We use linked Census-Register data for the period 2001-2006. Applying event history models, our findings reveal clear differences between the endogamous and exogamous unions with respect to the timing of first births. Second-generation women of both origin groups have the lowest parenthood rates when the partner is of native Belgian origin. However, no variation is found within endogamous unions. For endogamous unions with a first-generation partner, the parenthood rates are approximately the same (and not higher, as was expected) compared to when the partner is also of second generation.