Too many teen brides
Teenage marriage may be less common than it was a generation ago, but in many countries, and for many young women, it is still the norm. Compared to girls who marry later, teenage brides typically have less schooling, less independence and less experience of life and work. Boys, in contrast, rarely marry during their teens. A young girl often does not have a say in whether and whom she will marry, and she is frequently subordinate to her older partner in fundamental family decisions, such as when to have children and how many to have. The age difference between a teenage married woman and her partner further exacerbates the disparities in power. Early marriage is closely linked to early, repeated and unplanned childbearing. Death rates are higher for both mothers and babies, as teenage bodies are not ready for the rigours of pregnancy or childbirth. Data from 53 countries show that the highest rates of 15- to 19-year-old girls in 'union' -- either married or cohabiting -- are in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by Asia. Among the 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa with data, more than 25% of girls in this age-group in 14 countries are married or cohabiting. Five countries have rates above 40%. The data include diverse types of union socially accepted in various societies, including marriage, forms of cohabitation and polygyny, in which a man has more than one wife at a time. The contrast in the rates of marriage between teen girls and boys is considerable in most countries. All countries reporting have higher rates of teen marriage for girls, and in only two do teenage boys' rate of marriage or cohabiting exceed 10%. Although delaying marriage until after adolescence has many advantages, there are also risks. Unmarried teenage girls who are sexually active face the risk of unintended pregnancy, as well as sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
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