Adolescent marriage is an important issue given its social and medical
consequences. This study focuses on the recent trends in adolescent marriage
and reproductive health in Turkey to provide insights for action. Data from
the Demographic and Health Surveys of 1998 and 2008 were used. Adolescent
marriage and reproductive health indicators were assessed for urban-rural
residences, demographic regions and educational levels. Logistic regression
was used to predict marriage and birth in adolescence. Despite the decrease
in the proportion of married adolescents from 1998 to 2008, the findings
suggest no improvement in some marriage characteristics. In both surveys,
over 60% of ever-married adolescents had been pregnant at least once. There
is an increase in contraceptive use and antenatal care. Our findings showed
that in Turkey, women living in rural areas, from poor households, with more
traditional parental families, with less education, and who are not working
are more likely to get married in their adolescent ages.