Causes of Early Marriage and Its Effect on Reproductive Health of Young Mothers in Bangladesh

Abstract

The ubiquitous nature of early marriage which practiced across all background and social divides in Bangladesh causing a lot of concerns as according to UNICEF report on "The state of world's children 2017" Bangladesh has the fourth highest prevalence rate of child marriage in the world (59% marriage of women is happened before the age of 18 years). Poverty and low literacy are deciding factors; however, this phenomenon has severe health consequences which most of the times are overlooked and takes for granted in a country like Bangladesh. The study aims on the present situation of early marriage in Bangladesh, its social context and also identifies its effect on reproductive health. The tradition driven by poverty, unwillingness of parents to invest in girl's education, superstition, lack of social security and awareness directly affects girls' education, physical health, psychological well-being and consequently the health of their offspring. Though prohibition of child marriage is legal, but incidents of child marriage are still pervasive, especially in remote areas of Bangladesh due to proper enactment and social insecurity. A study conducted in rural Noakhali, Bangladesh revealed that more than 80% of marriage happened for women under 18 years of age. A study which found that still birth, miscarriage and pregnancy termination are significantly associated with child marriage. Early marriage often followed by adolescent pregnancies has enormous harmful effect on women's health as they are not ready physically and psychologically, hence increases the risk for different sexually transmitted diseases, obstetric fistulas, pre-term deliveries, miscarriage accompanied by mental depression, physical abuse, lack of social coherence and isolation and so on. To prevent child marriage, focusing on the underlying causes of child marriage is imperative and its serious health consequences warrant proper enactment of legislation and addressing the socioeconomic causes that propitiates child marriage.