Adolescent reproductive health

Adolescent girls and young women face risks every day from unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and sexual abuse. Poverty and low socio-economic status add to the danger.

For both adolescent girls and boys, UNFPA strongly advocates the right to reproductive health information and services. We support programmes that work closely with young people and solicit the support of their parents, teachers, religious leaders, communities and countries.

• The popular UNFPA-supported television series "I Need to Know" continues to reach adolescents in Nigeria with information about reproductive health. Parent-child communication is encouraged by the weekly 30-minute series, which revolves around the lives of seven secondary school students.

• Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in the Arab States have been learning about reproductive health as part of a programme conducted by regional and national NGOs and supported by UNFPA. Group leaders promote advocacy, information and education activities that are sensitive to issues of gender and culture.



• Young people are gaining the attention of policy makers in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan with outreach activities that advocate their right to reproductive health and sexuality education.



• More than 2,500 adolescents in Nicaragua participated in eight training workshops to become promoters and facilitators in peer education activities to convey information about sexual and reproductive health, and materials were disseminated to more than 20,000 youth.



• In Viet Nam, six television spots were aired on national television during popular sports matches, aiming to reach a young audience with messages on the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and HIV/AIDS, male responsibility and gender equity.