Sexual activity among junior secondary school girls in Zambia
Pillai, V.K.; Barton, T.; Benefo, K.
Journal of Biosocial Science 29(3): 297-301
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-9320 PMID: 9881137 DOI: 10.1017/s0021932097002976Document Number: 267873
The initiation of sexual activity in Zambia often involves initial puberty rites followed by a brief period of courting which leads to family-influenced and -arranged marriages. However, the advent of modern education and mass schooling has reduced the family's and community's ability to regulate sexual activity among adolescents, while the duration of courtship has lengthened considerably due to the postponement of marriage. The likelihood of sexual activity increases with an increase in involvement with members of the opposite sex. The authors propose a causal model of sexual activity among a randomly selected sample of 305 junior secondary schoolgirls in Zambia. Liberal sexual attitudes were found to influence romantic involvement with boys, with emotional involvement likely to result in sexual activity. Traditional courtship forms are slowly being replaced by modern patterns of courtship. Policy and program implications are discussed.