Where We Work
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Senegal - Background
Population: 12,700,000
Population Growth Rate: 3% (2007 est.)
Total Fertility Rate: 5.3 children born/woman
Literacy Rate - Female - ages 15-24, 2000-04: 42%
Literacy Rate - Male - ages 15-24, 2000-04: 62%
Poverty Rate: 54%
GDP Per Capita: $1,640 (2007)
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate: 0.4% (2007 est.)
*Statistics are from Population Reference Bureau’s website (www.prb.org).
Senegal is one of the fifty least developed countries in the world. With an average fertility rate of 5.3 children per woman, many of the factors that help to improve development, such as education, health care, infrastructure and a thriving job market, are constrained by the burgeoning population. While Senegal has been fairly successful in controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS, accurate information and tools to prevent infection remain limited. Only 10% of women 15-49 years old use a modern method of contraception. In addition, other sexually transmitted diseases (gonorrhea, chlamydia, pelvic inflammatory disease) are prevalent.
A major factor that affects reproductive health and risk of HIV and STI infection in Senegal is the age of first sexual experience. Research conducted from 1997-2000 found that 46% of Senegalese adolescents 15-18 years old are sexually active, and 27% of Senegalese girls have given birth by the time they are 18 years old. Early onset of sexual activity puts young women at an increased risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and other STIs, as well as developing other reproductive health complications, such as obstetric fistula.
