Abstract
This paper uses qualitative data from a positive deviance inquiry (PDI) among young people in Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire to explore the motivations for delayed sexual debut. The results of the PDI are verified using survey data from Côte d'Ivoire. The findings support the Self-Determination Theory and show that the factors that favor delayed sexual debut are both internal and external to the youth, including personal commitment to the ideal of delayed sexual debut, perceived self-efficacy to refuse sex with someone known for more than three months, and family contextual factors. The findings also show significant similarities and differences in the factors associated with delayed sexual debut among men and women. Residence in the same household as the father during childhood and the belief that a pregnancy would jeopardize professional ambitions are significant predictors for women but not for men. In contrast, religiosity is an important predictor for men but not for women. The programmatic and policy implications of the results are discussed.