The causes of large variation in the sizes of HIV epidemics among countries in sub-Saharan Africa are not well understood. Here we assess the potential roles of late age at marriage and a long period of premarital sexual activity as population risk factors, using ecological data from 33 sub-Saharan African countries and with individual-level data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in Ken...

conclusions this study can help find a culturally appropriate intervention to delay sexual initiation and prevent sexual behavior before marriage in adolescents and young adults. the results of the present study have both experimental and theoretical implications for future research. finally, this study is a form of shared experience that can help similar studies. results the study included 30 ...

The symbolism of rituals creates a shared understanding of events among group members. In the context of romantic relationships, a shared understanding of relationship status transitions may be associated with greater commitment and higher quality relationships. We argue that couples with differing retrospective accounts of their premarital courtship may not have had clear discussions or ritual...

Descriptive statistics indicate that civil marriages and marriages preceded by premarital cohabitation are more unstable, i.e., more frequently followed by divorce. However, the literature has shown that selectivity plays an important role in the relationship between premarital cohabitation and union dissolution. We do not have evidence to date regarding the selectivity in the effect of civil m...

This investigation was designed to examine factors involved in the stability of premarital romantic relationships and the extent of emotional distress experienced following their dissolution. During the fall of 1985, a large sample of individuals involved in ongoing dating relationships completed an extensive questionnaire survey. The survey assessed 10 factors: satisfaction with the current pa...

INTRODUCTION Religion, by definition, is a conservative force based upon a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature and purpose of the universe. These beliefs are mainly based on traditions involving scriptures, prophecy and revelations that have been incorporated into the theories behind a particular religion. The difficulty with religion and traditional beliefs is that they are slow to cha...

BACKGROUND HIV prevalence varies between 0.9 and 6.5% in Ethiopia's eleven regions. Little has been published examining the reasons for this variation. METHODS We evaluated the relationship between HIV prevalence by region and a range of risk factors in the 2005 and 2011 Ethiopian Demographic Health Surveys. Pearson's correlation was used to assess the relationship between HIV prevalence and ...

We extend prior research on the association between premarital cohabitation and marital outcomes by investigating whether covenant marriage, which entails more stringent requirements for divorce, minimizes the deleterious eVects of cohabitation on subsequent marital quality and stability. Using a unique longitudinal data set of covenant and standard newlywed couples in Louisiana, we Wnd that co...

This study examines attitudes concerning sexual relations outside marriage and levels of marital sexual activity using data from married individuals from Hai Duong Province collected in 2001. Among individuals who live in urban areas, have more schooling, and were married after the late 1980s, acceptance is growing concerning intimate behavior without marital commitment and having sex with a fu...