Early marriage as a risk factor for mistimed pregnancy among married adolescents in Bangladesh

Abstract

In Bangladesh, there appears to be high levels of modern contraceptive use but also high levels of adolescent childbearing. The present paper explores early marriage as a risk factor explaining early childbearing and mis timed pregnancies. Data collected from an adolescent survey of 11,609 girls between the ages 12-19 years are analysed in conjunction with in-depth interviews (n=12) with adolescents living in three dis tricts in South-Wes tern Bangladesh. Life his tories of girls who experienced an early pregnancy were explored to elucidate how high modern contraceptive use and replacement level fertility in the region coincided with high levels of unintended pregnancy.