Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2001-2002 - Measure DHS

OTHER DETERMINANTS OF FERTILITY6Anne R. CrossThis chapter addresses the principal factors, other than contraception, which affect a woman’srisk of becoming pregnant. These factors include marriage, polygyny, sexual intercourse, postpartumamenorrhoea, abstinence from sexual relations, and termination of exposure to pregnancy. Directmeasures of the beginning of exposure to the risk of pregnancy and the level of exposure are alsodiscussed in this chapter.6.1 CURRENT MARITAL STATUSTable 6.1 shows data on the current marital status of women and men interviewed in the survey.In this table, the term “married” is intended to mean legal or formal marriage, while “living together”designates an informal union. However, in future tables, the term “currently married” refers to bothformal and informal unions.Table 6.1 Current marital statusPercent distribution of women and men by current marital status, according to age, Zambia 2001-2002–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Marital status––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NumberNever Living ofAge married Married together Divorced Separated Widowed Total women–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––WOMEN–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––15-19 73.0 23.7 0.4 1.8 0.7 0.3 100.0 1,81120-24 24.6 64.6 0.6 6.9 2.5 0.7 100.0 1,66425-29 8.0 75.1 1.6 8.1 3.5 3.6 100.0 1,37630-34 4.4 77.1 0.7 8.4 3.2 6.2 100.0 97235-39 0.8 76.5 0.7 8.8 2.2 11.1 100.0 76640-44 0.8 74.1 0.6 9.7 2.6 12.2 100.0 60145-49 0.2 67.8 0.4 14.1 2.2 15.3 100.0 467Total 24.8 60.5 0.8 7.0 2.3 4.7 100.0 7,658–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––MEN–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––15-19 98.2 1.2 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.0 100.0 45920-24 68.7 26.0 0.2 2.1 2.7 0.3 100.0 34625-29 17.9 74.8 0.5 2.8 3.5 0.6 100.0 36130-34 5.8 85.7 0.8 3.7 3.6 0.5 100.0 28135-39 3.7 87.4 0.2 3.0 3.9 1.9 100.0 24140-44 1.9 92.9 0.0 1.0 2.1 2.1 100.0 17445-49 0.5 89.2 1.5 0.5 5.1 3.2 100.0 11350-54 0.0 95.4 0.0 1.2 0.0 3.4 100.0 10055-59 0.0 92.2 0.0 5.5 0.0 2.4 100.0 71Total 36.4 57.8 0.4 2.0 2.4 1.0 100.0 2,145Marriage and cohabitation are generally considered to be primary indicators of exposure to therisk of pregnancy. In Zambia, however, a union is not prerequisite to childbearing. Many women bearchildren before entering a stable union. Informal relationships are common, and women may havechildren in the context of such unions.Other Determinants of Fertility │ 93