PREMARITAL SEXUAL EXPERIENCE OF MARRIED-WOMEN IN KINSHASA, ZAIRE

Using responses from questions about age at first sexual intercourse a nd age at first marriage, this paper offers a method of studying prema rital sexual behaviour in societies where the subject is a taboo topic . More than half of the currently married women in Kinshasa engaged in sexual intercourse before marriage. The likelihood of having premarit al intercourse increases among younger women, those with higher educat ion, and those whose ethnic groups have liberal attitudes towards sexu al conduct. The results also suggest that sexual activity accounts for late marriage.