Lifting the Curtain on the Conditions of Sexual Initiation among Female and Male Youth in Ethiopia

David P. Lindstrom, Brown University
Megan Klein Hattori, Brown University

This study examines the conditions of first sexual intercourse among a sample of Ethiopian youth ages 13-24. It compares the responses of respondents who gave verbal responses to sensitive questions with the responses of respondents who used a non-verbal response method that was designed to reduce social desirability bias in the context of face-to-face interviews. Results reveal significantly higher levels of pressure and coercion at the time of first sex among respondents who used the non-verbal response cards compared to respondents who gave verbal responses. The response effect was especially large among male respondents who are unlikely to report pressured or coerced sex when providing conventional verbal responses.