Most recent demographic studies suggest that women are postponing marriage to their twenties. However, data from the 1978 Cameroon Fertility Survey and 1991 Demographic and Health survey suggest that an average rural woman in Cameroon experiences marriage and motherhood very early in life even by Sub-Saharan African standards. By the time a cohort of women is celebrating its 20th anniversary; very few are single. While marriage is closely tied with motherhood experience, an appreciable number of rural women do start sexual relationships and have their first births even before contracting a socially recognized marital union. Marriage does not seem to be the prerequisite for childbearing as 21% of the never married women (mostly teenagers) were already into motherhood.