Timing of first marriage and women’s ability to negotiate safer sex in Nigeria

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to examine the influence of timing of first marriage on women’s ability to negotiate safer sex, and to identify other drivers of women’s ability to negotiate safer sex. Women’s data of 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey were analysed. Three binary logistic regression models were fitted. Findings showed that 58.5% of the women had high ability to negotiate safer sex. The fitted models showed that the odds of high ability to negotiate safer sex were higher among women who delayed marriage compared to women who married early. A number of socio-demographic and relational characteristics also significantly drive high ability to negotiate safer sex. Early marriage hinders women from gaining total control of their sexual lives. The development of more sexual health promotion strategies is imperative in Nigeria.

Keywords:

• Negotiate safer sex
• timing of first marriage
• sexual health
• reproductive health
• women
• Nigeria

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to MEASURE DHS and the National Population Commission (Nigeria) for authorising access to 2018 NDHS datasets.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bola Lukman Solanke

Dr. Bola Lukman Solanke is Associate Professor of Demography and Social Statistics at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. He trained as a URC Postdoctoral Fellow at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. His research interests are fertility, contraception and public health. He is an editorial board member of BMC Public Health (Social determinants of health) and Behavioral Medicine. Two of his recent articles were published by Women’s Reproductive Health and the International Journal of Health Planning and Management.

Abayomi Folorunso Awoleye

Abayomi Folorunso Awoleye is a doctoral student at the Department of Demography and Social Statistics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. He is currently investigating diverse socio-cultural factors affecting women’s sexual negotiation practice in Nigeria.

Florence Folake Ikotun

Florence Folake Ikotun is a doctoral student at the Department of Demography and Social Statistics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Her research interests are intimate partner violence, reproductive health, and gender and society.

Peter Olasupo Ogunjuyigbe

Peter Olasupo Ogunjuyigbe is a Professor of Demography and Social Statistics and Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. His areas of specialisation include social demography, reproductive health, and gender and society. For over two decades, he has worked actively in population and development in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries and has mentored a number of excellent scholars. One of his most recent articles was published by Health and Social Care in the Community.