Lowering the Bar :: College Education School Essays

Lowering the Bar We have reached an era where everyone is expected to go to college, and educators are forcing this goal upon unwilling individuals to their great detriment. According to Barbara Schneider and David Stevenson in The Ambitious Generation: America's Teenagers, Motivated but Directionless, only fifty percent of twelfth graders surveyed in the 1950s expected to attend college, but by the 1990s, that number had increased to 90% (5). Much of this can be attributed to the increasing complexity of the American workplace—machinery has replaced most of the blue-collar jobs that existed five decades ago, and nearly every job requires some degree of technical sophistication. Much of it, however, cannot. Almost half of teenagers expecting to attend college â€Å"hope to get degrees that exceed the credentials needed for the occupations they want† (Schneider 6). Schneider calls this an example of misaligned ambitions, as the majority of teenagers â€Å"have high ambitions but no clear life plans for reaching them† (7). In the 1950s, high school students were segmented into different programs—vocational, commercial, general education, and college preparatory—but now, 95% of high schools in America are considered comprehensive (Schneider 113). This situation provides a difficult dichotomy, as high school graduates now are better educated than those who graduated in the 1950’s were; but where our grandparents could expect that a high school diploma would gain them a job in a company where they could advance for the rest of their career, current â€Å"adolescents believe the college diploma is the basic credential needed to obtain meaningful work† (Schneider 52). What 80% of college bound students do expect, however, is a professional occupation after college, compared to only 42% of previous generations (Schneider 5). So, while more people expect to go to college than before, more of those who expect to go to college also expect to be better rewarded for it than students in the 1950s. This is another example of misaligned ambitions, but were the majority of those students successful, it could be overlooked. Instead, what we are finding is that today’s students are not prepared to succeed in a university environment. Only 34% of students who were freshmen in 1989 finished their bachelor’s degree in four years, with an additional 24% finishing in five years. To look at these numbers on a smaller scale, my freshman suite can be considered as an example.

Shooting an Elephant, Critical Analysis Essay -- essays research paper

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout Orwell’s literary career, he avidly stood against totalitarian and imperialistic forms of government. His two most famous works (1984 and Animal Farm) both exemplify this point, but at the same time weaken it. These two works were written in protest of those governments, but in a fictional back ground. In Orwell’s essay Shooting an Elephant, he uses a personal experience to more clearly emphasize the impact of imperialism at the sociological and psychological level, in conjunction with other literary elements. This symposium of devices help drive the purpose of his paper and ultimately creates a more substantial impact on any reader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most obvious is his choice to illustrate his point through a very real and personal experience of his own. By doing so, it rendered an almost real and more tangible world for the audience to interact with. Orwell, being an Englishmen, was in a position to see both sides of imperialism’s harms to society, and present both to his audience. He told how both abused the other either physically or verbally, and how they ran each other’s actions. While it is possible to explain this by other means, the direct experience with it testified much stronger.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition, this form of writing allowed Orwell’s voice to come more clearly to the reader. He was able to directly express his thoughts and views at the time. Weather they were a loathing toward h...

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Essays -- Biography Biographies Bio

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart is perhaps the greatest musical genius who ever lived. Mozart 's full name is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Most people called him Mozart or Wolfgang. Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, January 27, 1756. His father, Leopold, perhaps the greatest influence on Mozart's life, was the vice Kapellmeister (assistant choir director) to the Archbishop of Salzburg at the time of Mozart's birth. Mozart was actually christened as "Joannes Chrysotomus Wolfgangus Theophilus," but adopted the Latin term "Amadeus" as his name of choice. Mozart was one of seven children born to Leopold and Anna, however, only one other sibling survived.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By the age of four it was evident that he possessed tremendous musical talent and music memory. His father, a master violinist and composer, decided to enroll young Wolfgang in harpsichord lessons. At age five Mozart was composing music and by age six he had mastered the keyboard. By his early teens, he had mastered the piano, violin, and harpsichord. He began composing minuets at the age of 5 and symphonies at age 9. In 1762, Mozart and his elder sister Maria Anna (best known as Nannerl) who was also a gifted keyboard player, were taken by their father on a short performing tour, of the courts at Vienna and Munich. Encouraged by their reception, they embarked the next year on a longer tour, including two weeks at Versailles, where the children enchanted Louis XV. In 1764 they arrived in London. Here Mozart wrote his first three symphonies, under the influence of Johann Christian Bach, youngest son of Johann Sebastian, who lived in the city. In Paris, Mozart publi shed his first works:four sonatas for clavier: with accompanying violin in 1764. After their return to Salzburg there followed three trips to Italy between 1769 and 1773.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1768 he composed his first opera, LA FINTA SEMPLICE, for Vienna; but conflicts prevented its performance, and it was first presented a year later at Salzburg. Mozart was a successful composer and violinist. He used the form of concerto (like the Symphony, in several section) to display the qualities of wind instruments, like the horn. His crowning achievements in concerto form, however, are for piano and orchestra - in all 25 works. Mozart's performances of his own piano concertos had much to do with the development of the instrument. In 1770, he began to ... ...him to ask Mozart to compose a Requiem Mass - a Mass for the Dead. But the nobleman wished to pass the music off as his own. Mozart agreed, not knowing the strangers true intention.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mozart may had died of a number of illnesses. The official diagnosis was miliary fever, but the truth is that the physicians who attended him were never quite sure what Mozart died of. He suffered from rheumatic pain, headaches, toothaches, skin eruptions, and lethargy. A common theory today is that Mozart died of uremia following chronic kidney disease. Regardless of the cause, Mozart became bedridden for the last two weeks of his life. He died at shortly after midnight on December 5th, 1791, aged thirty-five years, eleven months, and nine days. Bibliography Einstein, Alfred. Mozart, His Character, His Work. New York, 1962. Knepler, Georg. Wolfgang Amadà © Mozart. Cambridge, 1994. Landon, H.C. Robbins. 1791: Mozart's Last Year. New York, 1988. Steve Boerner. The Mozart Project, Revised December 20, 2000 http://www.Mozartproject.org ? . The Mozart Story, http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/6014/ Mozart Addicts Home Page http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/8417/

Lymphatics Webquest

Lymphatics web quest Suggested site- www. cdc. gov, feel free to use other reliable sites as well. 1. What animal can transmit Cryptococcus? Wild birds like pigeons. 2. Can dogs and cats get Cryptococcus? Yes 3. What is the infectious agent for Bubonic Plague? Yersinia pestis 4. By how much was the world population reduced during the Plague pandemic? About 450 million to between 350 and 375 million. 5. What year (within the past 100 years) did the world experience a flu pandemic? 1918 6.What are 3 symptoms of chikungunya fever? Fever, vomiting, nausea, head ache, and joint pain. 7. What bacterium causes Lyme’s disease? Borrelia 8. What is ‘erythema migrans? ’ A rash often seen in the early stage of Lyme disease 9. Find a disease transmitted by rabbits and list 2 symptoms. Tularemia it gives you sweats and fever. 10. What are symptoms of guinea worm disease? There are usually no symptoms until about a year after infection. Before the worm comes out the person may d evelop a fever, swelling, and pain in the area. 1. How long can a guinea worm grow? Adults are about 2-3 feet long. 12. Describe lymphocytic filariasis. A parasitic disease caused by the African eye worm. The adult worm can only live in the human lymph system. 13. On what day of the year does world TB day occur? March 24th 14. How do seasonal, avian, and pandemic flu outbreaks differ? Seasonal flu follows predictable patterns. Pandemic flu is very rare. Avian flu is a virus with the potential to become a pandemic. 5. What childhood diseases does the CDC recommend children to be vaccinated against? Chickenpox, Flu, and measles 16. Find one type of cancer caused by a virus. Cervical cancer 17. What is the cause of rheumatic fever? Rheumatic fever can occur after an infection of the throat with a bacterium called streptococcus phogenes. 18. List 1 disease caused by a fungus. Histoplasmosis 19. What is a telltale symptom of whooping cough? Coughing making a whooping sound. Lymphatics Webquest Lymphatics web quest Suggested site- www. cdc. gov, feel free to use other reliable sites as well. 1. What animal can transmit Cryptococcus? Wild birds like pigeons. 2. Can dogs and cats get Cryptococcus? Yes 3. What is the infectious agent for Bubonic Plague? Yersinia pestis 4. By how much was the world population reduced during the Plague pandemic? About 450 million to between 350 and 375 million. 5. What year (within the past 100 years) did the world experience a flu pandemic? 1918 6.What are 3 symptoms of chikungunya fever? Fever, vomiting, nausea, head ache, and joint pain. 7. What bacterium causes Lyme’s disease? Borrelia 8. What is ‘erythema migrans? ’ A rash often seen in the early stage of Lyme disease 9. Find a disease transmitted by rabbits and list 2 symptoms. Tularemia it gives you sweats and fever. 10. What are symptoms of guinea worm disease? There are usually no symptoms until about a year after infection. Before the worm comes out the person may d evelop a fever, swelling, and pain in the area. 1. How long can a guinea worm grow? Adults are about 2-3 feet long. 12. Describe lymphocytic filariasis. A parasitic disease caused by the African eye worm. The adult worm can only live in the human lymph system. 13. On what day of the year does world TB day occur? March 24th 14. How do seasonal, avian, and pandemic flu outbreaks differ? Seasonal flu follows predictable patterns. Pandemic flu is very rare. Avian flu is a virus with the potential to become a pandemic. 5. What childhood diseases does the CDC recommend children to be vaccinated against? Chickenpox, Flu, and measles 16. Find one type of cancer caused by a virus. Cervical cancer 17. What is the cause of rheumatic fever? Rheumatic fever can occur after an infection of the throat with a bacterium called streptococcus phogenes. 18. List 1 disease caused by a fungus. Histoplasmosis 19. What is a telltale symptom of whooping cough? Coughing making a whooping sound.

Journey to the Center of the Earth Essay

Based on one graphic novel, write about an important lesson that you have learnt. An important lesson that I learnt from the graphic novel, Journey to the centre of the Earth is that we should never give up and have confidence in ourselves. Professor Lidenbrock felt very excited when he found the document about how to get to the centre of the earth. He wanted to learn about what lies beneath our feet. although getting to the centre of the earth was not going to be easy, he still went because he was a determined man. Although the journey was fraught with difficulties he never gave up because he had confidence in himself. In the end the journey was a success. Based on one graphic novel, write about a happy event. A happy event in the graphic novel of A Journey to the centre of the Earth is when the Professor, Axel and Hans managed to come out of the earth uninjured and alive. They could have easily when been hurt or died as they were only on a raft and were thrown out of an erupting volcano. They landed uninjured in Sicily which is 3,000 miles away from Iceland where they started their journey. It is a happy event as they had successfully journeyed to the centre to the earth and lived to tell the tale of their adventure. Based on one graphic novel, write about an event that you cannot forget in the novel. An event that I cannot forget is when Axel passed out because they had run out of water. Hans, their guide then left Axel and the Professor. When Axel woke up he looked for Hans. When he could not find Hans he thought that Hans had deserted them,. However an hour later Hans returned. He then told them that he found water. Axel was very grateful to him. This is an unforgettable incident because although Hans could have easily left them he did not. He was a good and responsible guide. Based on one graphic novel, write about a character you sympathise. The character that I sympathise is Axel Lidenbrock. He is Professor Otto Lidenbrock’s nephew. When the professor wanted to figure out what the runic symbol in the document by the famous explorer, Arne Saknussem meant he forced Axel to help him. He said both he and Axel will not eat or sleep until they find the meaning. Later when they find out that the document shows how to get to the centre of the earth the professor forces Axel to go with him. I think as an uncle, the professor is a bully and I sympathise with Axel because he is not given a choice by his uncle. Based on one graphic novel above, write weather you like or do not like the ending of the story. I did not like the ending because I think it is a bit ridicuious. The explorers think they are going to die because they are on a raft in a volcano and the temperature is steadily increasing. The water begins to boil and their raft rises and finally when the volcano erupts the explorers are thrown out of the volcano. They land in Sicily, a country 3,000 miles away from Iceland. I think if they were in a volcano that was going to erupt they would have died. Therefore I feel the ending is illogical and I did not like it. Based on one graphic novel above, write an interesting event. An interesting event in the graphic novel, Journey to the centre of the Earth is when the explorers are caught in an electrical storm. They were travelling in an underground sea on a raft made by Hans. Suddenly the raft was hit by an electrical storm. Axel nearly died but luckily he survived. The explorers landed on a beach. The compass showed that they were back where they started. However the professor did not give up and said it was time to travel across the dangerous sea again. I found the event interesting as it showed that the professor does not give up easily.

Explain Kant’s categorical imperative Essay

Kant is an 18th century German philosopher who wrote the book Groundwork for metaphysics. The book deals with his theory that morality is a priori synthetic (a priori is a statement that is knowable without reference to any experience and synthetic means having truth or falsity can be tested using experience or the senses) and that moral decisions should be taken with a universal view to one’s duty to mankind as a whole. He laid out his ideas about the categorical imperative in this book. An imperative is a statement of what should be done. The philosopher Hume said that you can’t get a ‘should’ statement out of an ‘if’ statement. This means that experience can only give us hypothetical imperatives (not moral commands to the will – they are ‘if’ statements and do not apply to everyone and you only need obey them if you want to achieve a certain goal, for example, ‘if’ you want to be healthy then you should exercise and eat a balanced diet). A categorical imperative is a ‘should’ statement, but it is not based on experience, and doesn’t rely on a particular outcome. According to Kant, categorical imperatives apply to everyone because they are based on an objective a priori law of reason (an objective law is something that is factually true). The categorical imperative is one principle with three formulations: The Universal Law, treat humans as ends in themselves and act as if you live in a Kingdom of Ends. The natural law is to â€Å"act according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law† and what it says is that everyone should universalise their maxims without contradiction – for an imperative to be categorical or deontological it must consist of principles that can be applied in any situation. This basically means that before you do something you should ask yourself if you would like everyone in the same situation. If not, then you are involved in a contradiction and what you are thinking of doing is wrong because it is against reason. Kant uses the example of a suicidal man as an example: A man feels sick of life and wants to commit suicide. His maxim is that from self-love I want to shorten my life if its continuance threatens more evil than it promises pleasure. He asks himself whether he would universalise this law, his answer is no because it is humans’ duty to stimulate the furtherance of life and to destroy life would contradict itself and therefore is entirely opposed to the supreme principle of duty. The second principle is to treat humans as ends in themselves: â€Å"so act as to treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of any other, never solely as a means but always as an end†. Kant argues that all humans are searching for the summam bonum (a state in which human virtue and happiness are united). Kant believes that we all have an immortal soul and because of this immortal soul, humans deserve special treatment and that we should seek happiness as long as this happiness does not infringe on other humans ability to seek happiness and this means that we should not exploit others or treat them as things to achieve an end, as they are as rational as we are. To treat another person as a means is to deny that person the right to be rational and independent judge of their actions. It is to make oneself in some way superior and different. An example could be having a sexual relationship with someone – if you have only have sex with someone because you want something from them and not because you love them. The final principle is to act as if you live in a Kingdom of Ends; Kant said â€Å"act as a legislating member in the universal Kingdom of Ends†. This means that everyone should act as every other person were an ‘end’ – a free, independent agent. Kant believed that each person is independent and moral judgements should not be based on any empirical consideration about human nature, human flourishing or human destiny. What this means is that every individual has the ability to understand the principles of pure practical reason and follow them. Pure practical reason must be impartial and so its principles must apply equally to everyone. An example of this is if you’re trying to decide if it would be justified to kill someone who was threatening your family – using Kantian principles – you should not kill them. Acting according to the third principle (and taking the first and second into account) murder can obviously not be universalised or humanity would be wiped out, and killing the man threatening your family is treating him as a means (to saving your family) rather than an end: a human seeking summum bonum. In conclusion, there are three different formulations for Kant’s categorical imperative: The Universal Law, treat humans as ends in themselves and act as if you live in a Kingdom of Ends. Together these three formulations seek to allow humans to make moral decisions which do not infringe the happiness of others but also allow us to progress to perfection.

Child Marriage: A Silent Health and Human Rights Issue Essay

Abstract Marriages in which a child under the age of 18 years is involved occur worldwide, but are mainly seen in South Asia, Africa, and Latin America. A human rights violation, child marriage directly impacts girls’ education, health, psychologic well-being, and the health of their offspring. It increases the risk for depression, sexually transmitted infection, cervical cancer, malaria, obstetric fistulas, and maternal mortality. Their offspring are at an increased risk for premature birth and, subsequently, neonatal or infant death. The tradition, driven by poverty, is perpetuated to ensure girls’ financial futures and to reinforce social ties. One of the most effective methods of reducing child marriage and its health consequences is mandating that girls stay in school. Key words: Child marriage, Early marriage, Maternal mortality Child marriage, defined as marriage of a child under 18 years of age, is a silent and yet widespread practice. Today, over 60 million marriages include girls under the age of 18 years: approximately 31 million in South Asia, 14 million in sub-Saharan Africa, and 6.6 million in Latin America and the Caribbean (Figure 1). Each day, 25,000 girls are married and an anticipated 100 million girls will be married in 2012.1 Over 60% of girls are married under the age of 18 in some sub-Saharan countries and Bangladesh, and 40% to 60% of girls undergo child marriage in India (Figure 2). Figure 1 Number of women aged 20–24 who were married or in union before age 18, by region (2006). CEE/CIS, Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Reproduced with permission from United Nations Children’s Fund. Progress †¦ Figure 2 Percentage of women aged 20–24 who were married or in union before age 18 (1987–2006). Reproduced with permission from United Nations Children’s Fund. Progress for Children: A World Fit for Children Statistical Review. New York: †¦ Child marriage has been referred to as early marriage or child brides, but these terms are not optimal. Early marriage does not imply that children are involved, and the term is vague because an early marriage for one society may be considered late by another. The term child brides glorifies the tradition by portraying an image of joy and celebration. Most of these marriages are arranged by parents, and girls rarely meet their future husband before the wedding. The girls know that after the wedding they will move to their husband’s household, become the responsibility of their in-laws, and might not see their own family or friends for some time. Although child marriage includes boys, most children married under the age of 1 8 years are girls. In Mali, the ratio of married girls to boys is 72:1; in Kenya, it is 21:1; in Indonesia, it is 7.5:1; in Brazil, it is 6:1; and even in the United States, the ratio is 8:1.2–4 Go to: Human and Children’s Rights The United Nations and other international agencies have declared that child marriage violates human rights and children’s rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that individuals must enter marriage freely with full consent and must be at full age. In 1979, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women stated that child marriage is illegal. In 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child defined children as persons under the age of 18 years. Many countries passed laws changing the legal age of marriage to 18 years, but enforcement of these laws, and of laws requiring marriages to be registered, is weak.5 For example, although the legal age of marriage is 18 years, in Mali 65% of girls are married at a younger age; in Mozambique, it is 57%; and in India, it is 50% (Figure 3). In some parts of Ethiopia, although the legal age of marriage is 15 years, 50% of younger girls are married, and in Mali, 39% of younger girls are married. Furthermore, in some regions, an arranged marriage occurs at birth.6 Figure 3 (A) Percentage of girls (aged 15–19 years) who are currently married. (B) Percentage of women aged 20 to 24 years married before age 18. Reproduced with permission from Mathur S, Greene M, Malhotra A. Too Young to Wed: The Lives, Rights, and Health †¦ Go to: Factors Driving Child Marriage Three main forces drive child marriages: poverty, the need to reinforce social ties, and the belief that it offers protection. Child marriage is predominantly seen in areas of poverty. Parents are faced with 2 economic incentives: to ensure their daughter’s financial security and to reduce the economic burden daughters place on the family. Child marriage is first and foremost a product of sheer economic need. Girls are costly to feed, clothe, and educate, and they eventually leave the household. Marriage brings a dowry to the bride’s family. The younger the girl, the higher the dowry, and the sooner the economic burden of raising the girl is lifted. By marrying their daughter to a â€Å"good† family, parents also establish social ties between tribes or clans and improve their social status. Parents also believe that marrying their daughters young protects them from rape, premarital sexual activity, unintended pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections, espe cially human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS.5 Go to: Health Consequences of Child Marriage Isolation and Depression Once married, girls are taken to their husband’s household, where they assume the role of wife, domestic worker, and, eventually, mother. These new homes can be in a different village or town. Because of the high dowry paid, husbands are usually much older than the girls (and thus have little in common with them) and their new brides are expected to reproduce. Polygamy may also be acceptable in some of these regions. As a result, the girls feel rejected, isolated, and depressed. Some girls realize that survival requires embracing their new environment and proving their fertility. They lose their childhood and miss the opportunity to play, develop friendships, and be educated. Risk of Sexually Transmitted Infection and Cervical Cancer Parents believe that marrying their daughters early protects them from HIV/AIDS. Research has shown the opposite: marriage by the age of 20 years is a risk factor for HIV infection in girls.7 In Kenya, married girls are 50% more likely than unmarried girls to become infected with HIV. In Zambia, the risk is even higher (59%). And in Uganda, the HIV prevalence rate of married girls and single girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years is 89% and 66%, respectively. Their husbands infected these girls. Because the girls try to prove their fertility, they had high-frequency, unprotected intercourse with their husbands. Their older husbands had prior sexual partners or were polygamous. In addition, the girls’ virginal status and physical immaturity increase the risk of HIV transmission secondary to hymenal, vaginal, or cervical lacerations.5 Other sexually transmitted infections, such as herpes simplex virus type 2, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, are also more frequently transmitted and enhance the girls’ vulnerability to HIV. Research demonstrates that child marriage also increases the risk of human papillomavirus transmission and cervical cancer.8 Risks During Pregnancy Pregnant girls in malaria regions were found to be at higher risk for infection. Of the 10.5 million girls and women who become infected with malaria, 50% die. Their highest risk is during their first pregnancy. Pregnancy not only increases the risk of acquiring malaria, but pregnant girls under the age of 19 have a significantly higher malaria density than pregnant women over the age of 19.9 They are also at significant risk of malaria-related complications such as severe anemia, pulmonary edema, and hypoglycemia. Rates of HIV and malaria coinfection are highest in Central African Republic, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, where more than 90% of the population is exposed to malaria and more than 10% are HIV positive. Having both diseases complicates the management and treatment of each. HIV-infected patients have a higher likelihood of getting a more severe form of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. They are less likely to respond as well to antimalaria medication. Malaria increases HIV viral load and increases the mother-to-child HIV transmission rate. Data demonstrate that the combination of these diseases proves deadly to the young pregnant mother.10 Risks During Labor and Delivery Deliveries from child marriages are â€Å"too soon, too close, too many, or too late.†11 Forty-five percent of girls in Mali, 42% in Uganda, and 25% in Ethiopia have given birth by the age of 18. In Western nations, the rates are 1% in Germany, 2% in France, and 10% in the United States (Figure 4). Girls between the ages of 10 and 14 years are 5 to 7 times more likely to die in childbirth; girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years are twice as likely.12 High death rates are secondary to eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, sepsis, HIV infection, malaria, and obstructed labor. Girls aged 10 to 15 years have small pelvises and are not ready for childbearing. Their risk for obstetric fistula is 88%.13 Figure 4 Percentage of women, aged 20 to 24 years, married and giving birth by age 18. Reproduced with permission from Mathur S, Greene M, Malhotra A. Too Young to Wed: The Lives, Rights, and Health of Young Married Girls. Washington, DC: International Center †¦ Risks for Infants Mothers under the age of 18 have a 35% to 55% higher risk of delivering a preterm or low-birthweight infant than mothers older than 19 years. The infant mortality rate is 60% higher when the mother is under the age of 18 years. Data demonstrate that even after surviving the first year, children younger than 5 years had a 28% higher mortality rate in the young mothers cohort.14 This morbidity and mortality is due to the young mothers’ poor nutrition, physical and emotional immaturity, lack of access to social and reproductive services, and higher risk for infectious diseases. Go to: Discussion Disheartening as this information may be, there is encouraging news. Data show that in countries where poverty has decreased, such as Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, the incidence of child marriage has also declined. Media attention raises awareness of the issue and can prompt change. After a highly publicized story in 2008, in which a 10-year-old Yemeni girl fled her husband 2 months after being married and successfully obtained a divorce, Yemen increased the legal age for marriage from 15 to 18 years. More importantly, numerous children, inspired by this case, have sued for divorce.15 Research has long enforced the importance of education for girls and their families. Child marriage truncates girls’ childhood, stops their education, and impacts their health and the health of their infants. Governmental and nongovernmental policies aimed at educating the community, raising awareness, engaging local and religious leaders, involving parents, and empowering girls through education and employment can help stop child marriage. Programs that have shown success are those that give families financial incentives to keep their daughters in school, those that feed children during school hours so parents do not have to bear that responsibility, and those that promise employment once girls have completed their schooling.1 Education not only delays marriage, pregnancy, and childbearing, but school-based sex education can be effective in changing the awareness, attitudes, and practices leading to risky sexual behavior in marriage. Main Points †¢Over 60 million marriages include a girl under the age of 18 years. †¢The main forces that drive child marriage are poverty, the need to reinforce social ties, and the belief that marriage at an early age protects girls from rape, unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infection. †¢Marriage before the age of 18 increases the rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in girls. †¢High death rates during pregnancy are secondary to eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, sepsis, HIV infections, and obstructed labor. The infant mortality rate is 60% higher when the mother is under the age of 18 years. †¢Education not only delays marriage, pregnancy, and childbearing, but school-based sex education can be effective in changing the awareness, attitudes, and practices leading to risky sexual behavior in marriage. Go to: References 1. Mathur S, Greene M, Malhotra A. Too Young to Wed: The Lives, Rights and Health of Young Married Girls. Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women; 2003. pp. 1–15. 2. United Nations, authors. World Marriage Patterns. New York: United Nations Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs; 2000. 3. Population Reference Bureau, authors. The World’s Youth 2006 Data Sheet. Washington, DC;: Population Reference Bureau; 2006. [Accessed February 25, 2009]. http://www.prb.org/pdf06/WorldsYouth2006DataSheet.pdf. 4. Alan Guttmacher Institute, authors. Into a New World: Young Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Lives. New York: Alan Guttmacher Institute; 1998. 5. Nour NM. Health consequences of child marriages in Africa. Emerg Infect Dis. 2006;12:1644–1649. [PMC free article] [PubMed] 6. Bruce J, Clark S. Including Married Adolescents in Adolescent Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS Policy. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2003. 7. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, authors. World AIDS Campaign 2004: Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS. Strategic Overview and Background Note. [Accessed February 25, 2009]. http://www.etharc.org/aidscampaign/publications/wac2004.pdf. 8. Zhang ZF, Parkin DM, Yu SZ, et al. Risk factors for cancer of the cervix in a rural Chinese population. Int J Cancer. 1989;43:762–767. [PubMed] 9. Dzeing-Ella A, Nze Obiang PC, Tchoua R, et al. Severe falciparum malaria in Gabonese children: clinical and laboratory features. Malar J. 2005;4:1. [PMC free article] [PubMed] 10. World Health Organization, authors. Malaria and HIV Interactions and Their Implications for Public Health Policy. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2004. [Accessed February 25, 2009]. http://www.who.int/malaria/mal aria_HIV/MalariaHIVinteractions_report.pdf. 11. Marriage and the family. [Accessed February 25, 2009]. Interactive Population Center Web site. http://www.unfpa.org/intercenter/cycle/marriage.htm. 12. United Nations, authors. We the Children: End-Decade Review of the Follow-Up to the World Summit for Children. Report of the Secretary-General (A/S-27/3) New York: United Nations; 2001. 13. United Nations Children’s Fund, authors. Fistula in Niamey, Niger. New York: United Nations Children’s Fund; 1998. 14. Adhikari RK. Early marriage and childbearing: risks and consequences. In: Bott S, Jejeebhoy S, Shah, Puri C, editors. Towards Adulthood: Exploring the Sexual and Reproductive Health of Adolescents in South Asia. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2003. pp. 62–66. 15. Walt V. A 10-year-old divorcà ©e takes Paris. Time. 2009. Feb 3 [Accessed February 25, 2009]. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1876652,00.html.