P R E S S   S U M M A R Y 

Support for the young

As the largest-ever young generation comes of age, society’s obligation to address their educational and health needs, and to promote their human rights is both a moral and practical imperative. Enabling young women to exercise greater control over their sexual and reproductive lives helps ensure their contribution to development.

Early marriage is still the norm in some regions, closing women’s opportunities for education and employment; but in most regions fewer adolescents are married than in the past. With a wider gap between puberty and marriage, sexual activity outside marriage has increased. Nevertheless, many in authority are unwilling even to acknowledge teenage sexuality. Poor or missing information, policy barriers, or discouragement by care providers prevents many young people, even married ones, from using protection against unwanted pregnancy or from seeking help from health services.

Sexual activity is frequently condoned for unmarried young men, but not for unmarried young women. This sexual double standard imposes a heavy burden of responsibility and risk on young women, including an enhanced risk of sexual coercion. Poor girls are particularly vulnerable to economic coercion. Whether she is married or not, pregnancy during adolescence exposes a young woman to much higher risks of illness or death than those faced by older women. Young brides often face strong social and family pressure to begin childbearing immediately: such pressure increases the risks to young women’s lives and health.

Up to three quarters of pregnancies among young unmarried women are unwanted; the result may be disapproval and rejection by the family and the community, unwanted or illtimed marriages, an end of schooling and economic hardship. Many such pregnancies result in unsafe abortion.

Half of all new HIV infections are to young people aged 15-24. Biological and social factors make young women especially vulnerable to transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The risks are especially great for those who have multiple partners, those who sell sex to make a living, and women married to men with multiple partners.

As reproductive health programmes become well established, adolescents account for a growing share of the unmet need for family planning. Services must address adolescents and their sexuality openly and honestly, provide more options, sensitive counselling and better information to promote effective use of the most appropriate means of contraception.

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