Anjali Tendulkar, wife of the ‘God’ of cricket Sachin Tendulkar, is about five years older than him. Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor’s wife Mira Kapoor is about 15 years younger than him. Actress Alia Bhatt is about 10 years younger than her husband Ranbir Kapoor. These are some such examples which force us to ask the question that how much age gap should there be for an ideal couple and what does medical science say about this?
Let us first consider the legal provisions before talking about science. In our country the minimum age for marriage of girls is fixed at 18 years. Whereas the marriage age of boys is fixed at 21 years. Marriage younger than this is classified as child marriage. Well, according to government rules, girls become eligible for marriage at the age of 18 and boys at the age of 21. Thus, there is a gap of three years in their ages.
But, if we analyze this legal provision closely, one thing becomes clear that girls grow up physically and mentally faster than boys. For this reason their marriage age has been kept lower than that of boys. There is a gap of three years in the age of both. As far as the social system in our country is concerned, here too there has been a tradition of girls getting married at a relatively young age. Generally there is a belief in the society that the age of a girl should be less than that of a boy. There can be many reasons behind this. An important reason for this is social. But, its biological reason matters a lot.
biological reasons
According to medical science, the process of physical development of boys and girls is completely different. Girls start becoming teenagers at the age of 12 to 13 years. Her period starts coming. Their physical development goes from a teenager to a young woman. Usually a girl becomes a full-fledged teenager by the age of 16 to 17 years. At that age his physical development is almost complete. Fertility is also at the highest level in a girl at this age.
On the other hand, if we talk about boys, their physical development starts a few years later than that of girls. A boy becomes a teenager at the age of 15 to 16 years. He starts becoming biologically male at this age. At the age of 20-21 he becomes a complete man. In such a situation, in case of a relationship, he has the highest chances of becoming a father at this age.
age gap in science
As far as medical science is concerned, there is no mention of age at marriage. However, in medical science, there is definitely a question about the age of the relationship. Talks about the appropriate age for forming relationships in science. Well, biology becomes capable of forming a relationship when a girl starts her period and a boy acquires the ability to release sperm. But, keeping in mind the health and complete physical development of both, the age has been fixed at 18 and 21 years.
In such a situation, considering the social and biological conditions, it is believed that there should be a gap of 3 to 5 years in the age of a girl and a boy. But, this is not set in stone. In the country, there are many cases of couples of all ages and sometimes the girl is getting older. Despite this, their marriage is seen to be quite successful and happy.
Tags: female health, relationship, young couples
FIRST PUBLISHED: September 27, 2024, 22:18 IST