Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2001-2002 - Measure DHS

Table 6.6 Median age at first sexual intercourseMedian age at first sexual intercourse among women 20-49 and men 20-59, by current age and background characteristics, Zambia 2001-2002–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Current age Women Women Men MenBackground –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– age age age agecharacteristic 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 20-49 25-49 20-59 25-59–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––ResidenceUrban 17.8 17.5 17.5 16.8 16.9 16.6 17.4 17.2 17.9 18.1Rural 16.6 16.7 16.4 16.4 16.6 16.4 16.5 16.5 17.7 18.0ProvinceCentral 16.6 16.9 16.9 16.3 15.7 15.7 16.5 16.4 16.5 16.6Copperbelt 17.7 17.6 17.4 16.7 16.3 16.4 17.2 17.1 17.8 18.1Eastern 16.5 16.9 16.8 16.8 16.7 17.8 16.8 16.9 18.2 18.3Luapula 17.0 17.0 16.7 15.9 (16.9) 16.1 16.7 16.6 17.9 17.7Lusaka 17.7 17.3 17.2 16.9 17.0 (16.9) 17.3 17.2 17.5 17.5Northern 17.5 17.3 17.4 16.9 17.6 17.2 17.3 17.3 18.9 19.0North-Western 15.6 15.4 15.0 15.3 15.4 15.0 15.3 15.3 15.9 16.0Southern 17.5 17.1 16.7 16.7 16.8 (16.2) 17.1 16.8 18.4 18.5Western 15.7 16.1 15.8 16.1 16.4 (16.8) 16.0 16.1 16.1 16.5EducationNo education 16.0 16.0 16.2 15.8 15.9 15.9 16.0 16.1 16.1 16.2Primary 16.4 16.6 16.5 16.2 16.5 16.3 16.4 16.5 17.6 17.9Secondary or higher 18.4 18.3 18.2 18.1 18.0 18.3 18.3 18.2 18.0 18.2Total 17.0 17.0 16.9 16.5 16.7 16.5 16.8 16.8 17.8 18.0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Note: Figures in parentheses are based on 25-49 unweighted cases.6.5 RECENT SEXUAL ACTIVITYIn the absence of contraception, the probability of pregnancy is related to the frequency of intercourse.Thus, information on sexual activity can be used to refine measures of exposure to pregnancy.Survey results are shown in Table 6.7.1 for women and 6.7.2 for men.In the 4 weeks before the survey, about half of women age 15-49 years were sexually active,while 23 percent had been sexually active in the previous year but not in the previous month and12 percent had not been sexually active for more than one year. An additional 12 percent of women hadnever had sex.The proportion of women who were sexually active in the 4 weeks before the survey increaseswith age to a high of almost two-thirds of women age 30-34 years and then declines somewhat. Teenagersand women who are not currently in a marital union are less likely to be sexually active than older womenand women who are married or living with a man. The proportion sexually active remains remarkablystable at all marital durations, although it is slightly lower among recently married women than amongthose married longer.Women in urban areas are slightly less likely to be sexually active (i.e., over the past 4 weeks)(46 percent) than those in rural areas (52 percent). The proportion of women who are sexually active ishighest in Southern province (61 percent) and lowest in Western province (45 percent). Education appearsto have little effect on the probability of recent sexual activity, although women with more education aremore likely to have never been sexually active, presumably because they are younger than less educatedwomen. As expected, women who are using a contraceptive method are more likely to be sexually activethan women who are not using any method. Obviously, women who are sexually active are more likely touse a method, but it is also true that those who are using contraception probably feel freer to engage in sexbecause they are at lower risk of pregnancy.Other Determinants of Fertility │ 99