Pre-marital sexual behaviour among out-of-school adolescents: motives, patterns and meaning attributed to sexual partnership in rural Tanzania.

This paper presents data from a qualitative study on pre-marital sexual behaviours among out-of-school adolescents residing in rural communities from farming and lakeshore settings in Magu District, Northwestern Tanzania. The study found that large numbers of out-of-school adolescents are sexually experienced, that the period from acquaintance or dating to sexual relations is typically short, and that sexual encounters are typically risky. The exchange of money and gifts for sex was reported by both female and male adolescents but perception and interpretation differed widely. Males perceived that females engage in sex largely for material gain while the females saw it as a display, or a partner's love or commitment. These findings call for interventions to empower sexual negotiation skills among adolescents, promote condom use, and at the same time redress gender disparities in expectations and interpretations of sexual relationships.