Publication: Social context of premarital fertility in rural South-Africa.
Issued Date
2008-08-01
Resource Type
ISSN
11184841
DOI
Other identifier(s)
2-s2.0-77955879956
Rights
Mahidol University
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
African journal of reproductive health. Vol.12, No.2 (2008), 98-110
Suggested Citation
Julien Zwang, Michel Garenne Social context of premarital fertility in rural South-Africa.. African journal of reproductive health. Vol.12, No.2 (2008), 98-110. doi:10.2307/25470653 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/19581
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Authors
Journal Issue
Thesis
Title
Social context of premarital fertility in rural South-Africa.
Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
A qualitative study was conducted in Agincourt, a rural area of South Africa, to document the perceptions and attitudes towards premarital fertility and late marriage among young adults of both sexes. Two focus groups and 35 individual interviews were conducted among 17-30 year olds, randomly selected. Most interviewees perceived premarital fertility as undesirable, and a new phenomenon in a context of major social changes, in particular loss of authority of parents and increasing freedom of the youth. In contrast, late marriage was perceived as positive, by both sexes, primarily for economic reasons. Much stigma was associated with premarital fertility, from friends, institutions and families who occasionally apply mild or severe sanctions. Consequences of premarital fertility were numerous: school abandonment, economic adversity, health risks, stigmatization. In extreme cases, premarital fertility might lead to exclusion and deviant behavior. Premarital fertility was ultimately due to a lack of contraception among young women, and to refusal of abortion for religious reasons, and is associated with the risk of contracting STD's.