Sex Before the Age of 15
Export Indicator
Percentage of young women and men aged 15-24 who have had sexual intercourse before the age of 15
What it measures
It measures progress in increasing the age at which young women and men aged 15–24 first have sex
Rationale
A major goal in many countries is to delay the age at which young people fi rst have sex and discourage
premarital sexual activity because it reduces their potential exposure to HIV. There is also evidence to
suggest that first having sex at a later age reduces susceptibility to infection per act of sex, at least for
women.
Numerator
Number of respondents (aged 15–24 years) who report the age at which they first had sexual intercourse as under 15 years.
Denominator
Number of all respondents aged 15–24 years
Calculation
Numerator / Denominator
Method of measurement
Respondents are asked whether or not they have ever had sexual intercourse and, if yes, they are asked: How old were you when you first had sexual intercourse for the first time?
For further information on DHS/AIS methodology and survey instruments, visit www.measuredhs.com.
Measurement frequency
Every 3-5 years
Disaggregation
Age-group:
15 years - 19 years
20 years - 24 years
Gender:
Female
Male
Strengths and weaknesses
Countries where very few young people have sex before the age of 15 might opt to use an alternative
indicator: percentage of young women and men aged 20–24 who report their age at sexual initiation as
under 18 years. The advantage of using the reported age at which young people first had sexual intercourse (as opposed to the median age) is that the calculation is simple and allows easy comparison over time. The denominator is easily defined because all members of the survey sample contribute to this measure.
It is difficult to monitor change in this indicator over a short period because only individuals entering
the group, i.e. those aged under 15 at the beginning of the period for which the trends are to be assessed, can influence the numerator. If the indicator is assessed every two to three years, it may be better to focus on changes in the levels for the 15–17 age group. If it is assessed every five years, the possibility exists of looking at the 15–19 age group.
In countries where HIV-prevention programmes encourage virginity or delaying of first sex, young
people’s responses to survey questions on this issue may be biased, including a deliberate misreporting of age at which they first had sex.