Child marriage and associations with lifetime sexually transmitted infections in côte d'ivoire

Introduction: Child marriage has been associated with poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes. However, little is known about the prevalence of child marriage and its association with lifetime sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in conflict-affected regions, including Côte d'Ivoire. Methods: Data taken from a randomized controlled trial among adult, rural Ivorian women (2010 – 2012). Child marriage was operationalized as married between the ages of 10-15 years or 16-17 years, and vs 18+. Lifetime STI was assessed via a single self-reported item and collected at endline while demographics, including child marriage, were assessed at baseline. GEE models assessed the relationships of interest and accounted for demographics, village clustering, and intervention exposure. Results: Among 623 women, 13.0% (n=81) of women were married between the ages of 10-15 and 17.3% (n=108) were married at 16-17 years. 56.0% (n=349) reported lifetime STI; 69.1% of young child brides reported STI while 57.4% of older child brides reported STI. Being a young child bride was associated with a 2.1 (95%CI: 1.2 – 3.7) times the odds of STI, while older child brides had a 1.2 (95%CI: 0.8 – 1.9) times the odds of STI, compared to women who were married as adults. Discussion: In Côte d'Ivoire, younger child brides had increased risk of STI, reflecting the urgency for sexual health programs to address the needs of these vulnerable girls. Programs and policies should work to reduce child marriage as a strategy to improve reproductive health, particularly for those at the youngest ages.