Fertility among Orphans in Rural Malawi: Challenging Common Assumptions about Risk and Mechanisms

Rachel Kidman, Stony Brook University, State University of New York (SUNY)

Despite a substantial literature on orphan disparities, the nature of such and the mechanisms driving disadvantage are poorly understood. This paper focuses on pregnancy, an area of concern for adolescent orphans and one in which the evidence is equivocal. When differences in fertility emerge, they are implicitly ascribed to increased structural vulnerability and related sexual risk behavior. We pose an alternative: disparities may be driven by the heightened fertility preferences of orphans. Using data for Malawian youth 15-25 years old, we compare orphans with non-orphans to identify differences in structural factors, HIV risk behavior, and fertility preferences. We find no evidence of increased sexual risk among orphans. There is greater support for the second mechanism: maternal orphans report higher fertility desires. For male maternal orphans, this translates into greater actual fertility. Strategies that address personal desires for parenthood will need to be part of prevention programs aimed at orphaned youth.