Timing of First Intercourse Among Malian Adolescents: Implications for Contraceptive Use

Research throughout much of Africa indicates that the first sexual experiences of today’s young people are taking place in a different social context from those of previous generations.1 Increasing urbanization, modernization and education, together with exposure to Western media, appear to have led to a decline in traditional values and, in particular, to have reduced the importance of virginity at marriage.2 Evidence suggests that parental control and authority over young people are declining and that adolescents are no longer willing—or required—to be accountable to the societal structures that formerly controlled and informed their sexual behavior.3 Timing of First Intercourse Among Malian Adolescents: Implications for Contraceptive Use