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Your Reproductive Health
During adolescence, young girls develop their adult identity, move
toward physical and psychological maturity, and become
economically independent. While adolescence generally is a healthy
period of life, many adolescents often are less informed, less
experienced, and less comfortable accessing family planning and
reproductive health services than adults.
While access to reproductive health
information and services is critical, this alone will not
necessarily result in young people adopting safer sexual
behaviors. Like adults, young people require motivation to make
healthy decisions about their sexual behavior; adopting healthy
sexual attitudes and behaviors cannot happen in a vacuum. Indeed,
it is becoming increasingly clear that adolescent sexual and
reproductive health is closely linked with educational and
economic opportunities. Early marriage, adolescent pregnancy,
abortion, and STIs often curtail adolescents' -- especially girls’
-- ability to obtain an education and learn skills that can help
them develop livelihood options.
It is important to note, however,
that many health experts acknowledge that sexual experience during
adolescence in and of itself does not necessarily involve risk. If
young couples use effective methods of protection against
pregnancy and STIs, and if their decision to enter into a
relationship is voluntary, physical and psychological risks are
minimized. The concern is pressing, however -- especially for
women -- when sexual relationships are involuntary or not
sanctioned by law or custom and when contraceptive use is absent
or inadequate. Programs recognizing that adolescents can engage in
healthy, fulfilling sexual relationships, rather than focusing
only on the negative outcomes, may go far in reaching young people
with important information. |
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