Abstract : Adolescents, globally, need the information and services required to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease (STD), particularly acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). More than half of all women in African countries have their first child before the age of 20; in Latin America, more than one-third do; and, in the United States, the country with the highest teenage pregnancy rate among developed countries, approximately 20% do. 5 million out of an estimated total of 50 million induced abortions worldwide occur in women aged 15-19. 1 in 20 teenagers are estimated to acquire STDs annually. Although most youngsters are sexually active before the age of 20, they are less likely to use contraceptives, including condoms. All societies need to acknowledge the sexuality of adolescents and address their special sexual health needs. The Population Action Report (PAI) has called for greater emphasis on condom use in adolescents; an estimated 2/3 of those who acquire AIDS are infected by the age of 25. Pregnancy and childbirth are more hazardous for girls under 16; hypertension, anemia, obstructed labor, toxemia, and hemorrhage are more common among teenagers than among women aged 20-34, and teenagers seeking an abortion are more likely to delay finding a provider or to try inducing the abortion themselves. Pregnant teenagers often leave school early and are more likely to be poor. Youth programs that encourage the delay of sexual activity, while also providing information about Safer Sex and contraception, are more successful than those that promote abstinence alone. Clinics that serve adolescents only, youth centers that include contraceptive counselling and services with recreational and educational activities, and community outreach programs that use young people as peer counselors have all been effective. In societies where women derive their status through motherhood, programs which improve self-esteem in girls and promote alternate opportunities would help girls stay in school and delay childbearing. The elimination of harmful traditional practices, including child marriage and female genital mutilation, would improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
Notes : Inglés/anglais/English, nbsp;105485