title: Sociocultural factors perpetuating the practices of early marriage and childbirth in Sylhet District, Bangladesh.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The practice of adolescent marriage continues in communities throughout Bangladesh, with adolescent childbearing a common result. This early childbearing is associated with increased medical risks for both mothers and their newborns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Because of the need to understand the persistence of these behaviors in spite of the risks, various qualitative research methods were used to identify and better understand the various socio cultural factors perpetuating the practices of early marriage and childbirth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Delaying the first birth after marriage can cause rumors of infertility, bring shame on the family, and in some cases lead the husband's family to seek another wife for their son. In addition, social stigma for childless women, emigration of husbands, and the belief that using modern contraceptives prior to the birth of the first child results in infertility also inhibits couples from delaying their first pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future efforts to promote delay in marriage and subsequent early childbearing should focus on allaying the fears of infertility related to delay in childbearing or secondary to contraceptive use, both for newly married couples and household decision-makers such as mothers-in-law.
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA nlehnert@jhsph.edu.
authors.forename: Nicholas B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Lehnertz
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Ashraful
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Nabeel Ashraf
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Emma K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Syed Moshfiqur
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA Jhpiego, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Salahuddin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Shams
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El Arifeen
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Abdullah H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Baqui
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Winch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh; D003267:Contraception; D003268:Contraception Behavior; D003469:Culture; D003657:Decision Making; D005190:Family; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007246:Infertility; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D011247:Pregnancy; D057545:Social Stigma; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescent childbirth; Bangladesh; Family planning; Timing of first birth