Understanding marital and premarital fertility in rural South Africa

The age pattern of fertility in a rural area of South Africa under health and demographic surveillance (Agincourt subdistrict) was investigated over the 1992-1997 periods. The total fertility rate (number of children born, on average, to the women of this population) averaged 3.3 over the period, a major drop from earlier estimates in the same area (6.0 in 1970-1974). Age-specific fertility rates showed an atypical bimodal pattern composed of two components of similar magnitude: premarital fertility (ages 12-26) and martial fertility (ages 15-49). These two components demonstrate a peak of premarital fertility (around age 18-20 years) and a peak of marital fertility (around age 28-30 years). Premarital fertility accounted for 21 per cent of all births, and for 47 per cent of births to women aged 12-26 years. Thus, in the Northern Province of South Africa at least, premarital fertility is a significant demographic and social phenomenon that contributed to a deeper understanding of both teenage and adolescent pregnancy. In addition, it extends these two concepts to cover the important social and economic consequences of pregnancies among those aged 12 to 26 years. The paper discusses a number of qualitative studies that provide insight into the social and cultural context of marriage, fertility and sexuality in the area. It also considers how this pattern of very high premarital fertility appears to reflect a lack of contraception before the first birth, especially among adolescent, a low prevalence of abortion of the family planning policy, which so far has targeted married women and women after their first pregnancy, but has failed to address the contraceptive needs of young women before the first pregnancy, especially adolescents.