TY - RPRT AU - Khatiwada, Naresh AU - Silwal, Pushkar Raj AU - Bhadra, Rajendra AU - Tamang, Tirtha Man CY - Calverton, Maryland, USA TI - Sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and youth in Nepal: Trends and determinants: Further analysis of the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey T2 - DHS Further Analysis Reports No. 76 PB - ICF International PY - 2013 UR - http://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FA76/FA76.pdf AB - In Nepal the practice of early marriage is common and is deeply rooted in the culture. The legal minimum age at marriage in Nepal is 18 with the guardian’s consent and 20 without the need for the guardian’s consent (the Muluki Ain, 2019 BS). In fact, however, most women have married at younger ages. For women age 25-49 the median age at first marriage was 17.5 years, and for men age 25-49 it was 21.6 years. Early marriage and resulting early sexual debut can lead to a number of potentially adverse outcomes, including unplanned pregnancy and exposure to sexually transmitted infections. In Nepal the prevalence of HIV is estimated to be 0.3 percent in the general population age 15-49. According to the 2010 report of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS on the global AIDS epidemic, an estimated 64,000 adults and children in Nepal were living with HIV at the end of 2009 (up from 60,000 in 2001). Of these, 20,000 were women age 15 and older. As in other developing countries, transmission of HIV in Nepal is driven by factors such as poverty, low literacy levels, low levels of condom use, cultural and religious factors, and stigma and discrimination. There are concentrated epidemics in certain high-risk populations in Nepal. Also, young people are particularly at risk. In 2011, only one-quarter of female youth and one-third of male youth age 15-24 had comprehensive knowledge of HIV and AIDS prevention. N1 - For assistance using downloaded citations from The DHS Program, please visit http://dhsprogram.com/publications/Citing-DHS-Publications.cfm. This report presents findings from a further analysis study undertaken as part of the follow-up to the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Funding for the further analysis of the survey was provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). ICF International provided technical assistance for the survey and further analysis, and New ERA provided in-country coordination and technical assistance through the MEASURE DHS program, a USAID-funded project providing support and technical assistance in the implementation of population and health surveys in countries worldwide. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US government or other funding agencies. This report is part of the MEASURE DHS program, which is designed to collect, analyze, and disseminate data on fertility, family planning, maternal and child health, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS. Additional information about the 2011 NDHS may be obtained from the Population Division, Ministry of Health and Population, Government of Nepal, Ramshahpath, Kathmandu, Nepal; telephone: (977-1)4262987; and from New ERA, P.O. Box 722, Kathmandu, Nepal; telephone: (977-1)4423176/4413603; fax:(977-1) 4419562; e-mail: info@newera.com.np. Information about the DHS program may be obtained from MEASURE DHS, ICF International, 11785 Beltsville Drive, Suite 300, Calverton, MD 20705, USA; telephone: 301-572-0200; fax: 301-572-0999; e-mail: reports@measuredhs.com; Internet: http://www.measuredhs.com. ER -