The experience of sexual coercion among young women in Central Province, Kenya
The experience of sexual coercion among young women in Central Province, Kenya
Research on adolescents in the developing world is a fairly new field and has focused, somewhat narrowly, on the timing of sexual initiation, fertility and family planning. Until recently, little attention has been paid to the context of sexual relations for young people. Scattered research in sub-Saharan Africa has suggested that a considerable proportion of young women have experienced non-consensual sex. Yet, these studies are often drawn from selective samples and the questions on coercion are ambiguously phrased.
This study combines quantitative and qualitative data in exploring the experience of sexual coercion among young women in Central Province, Kenya. A population-based survey was conducted among over 2,700 young men and women aged 10- to 26 in Central Province, Kenya, as well as 62 in-depth interviews. In all, 11 percent of sexually experienced young women had experienced coerced sex. Most girls were coerced by intimate partners, either boyfriends or husbands. Coerced girls experienced sexual initiation at significantly younger ages than girls who had not experienced coercion and had partners who were considerably older than themselves, compared to non-coerced girls. Multivariate analysis revealed that girls whose mothers have at least some secondary education and girls who have worked for pay are significantly less likely to have experienced coercion than those who have mothers with low education or those who have never worked for pay. Among sexually experienced girls, the experience of coercion is associated with a greater number of sex partners and increased experience of sexually transmitted infections. Girls interviewed during the in-depth interviews described the extent to which boys put them under pressure to have sex and the enormous regret and guilt they feel after having sex that is unwanted or coerced.
University of Southampton
Erulkar, Annabel Sarah
8045fd83-ec9d-4b8c-802d-0e855b5a1e31
2003
Erulkar, Annabel Sarah
8045fd83-ec9d-4b8c-802d-0e855b5a1e31
Erulkar, Annabel Sarah
(2003)
The experience of sexual coercion among young women in Central Province, Kenya.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
Research on adolescents in the developing world is a fairly new field and has focused, somewhat narrowly, on the timing of sexual initiation, fertility and family planning. Until recently, little attention has been paid to the context of sexual relations for young people. Scattered research in sub-Saharan Africa has suggested that a considerable proportion of young women have experienced non-consensual sex. Yet, these studies are often drawn from selective samples and the questions on coercion are ambiguously phrased.
This study combines quantitative and qualitative data in exploring the experience of sexual coercion among young women in Central Province, Kenya. A population-based survey was conducted among over 2,700 young men and women aged 10- to 26 in Central Province, Kenya, as well as 62 in-depth interviews. In all, 11 percent of sexually experienced young women had experienced coerced sex. Most girls were coerced by intimate partners, either boyfriends or husbands. Coerced girls experienced sexual initiation at significantly younger ages than girls who had not experienced coercion and had partners who were considerably older than themselves, compared to non-coerced girls. Multivariate analysis revealed that girls whose mothers have at least some secondary education and girls who have worked for pay are significantly less likely to have experienced coercion than those who have mothers with low education or those who have never worked for pay. Among sexually experienced girls, the experience of coercion is associated with a greater number of sex partners and increased experience of sexually transmitted infections. Girls interviewed during the in-depth interviews described the extent to which boys put them under pressure to have sex and the enormous regret and guilt they feel after having sex that is unwanted or coerced.
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Published date: 2003
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Local EPrints ID: 465935
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/465935
PURE UUID: b261ddb3-ee95-45ee-a5ad-c6cf325fed1e
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Date deposited: 05 Jul 2022 03:42
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 19:50
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Author:
Annabel Sarah Erulkar
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