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ADOLESCENTS : Where can we go?
We are adolescents who don't have the courage to go to family planning centers to talk about such things."
"You have to invest in education for young adolescents, specifically sexuality education."
Adolescence is the transition from childhood to adulthood, marked by profound physical, emotional, mental and social changes during the time period from ages 10 to 22. Change is the truth of adolescence. Main objective of nature is to make the body-physically and mind-emotionally ready for reproduction. Emotionally, young teens move toward independence from their parents or elders and establish new interests and relationships and identity. Childhood, puberty, teenage, adolescence, young adult and adult are overlapping during above time period. In such a broad age range, reproductive health needs can vary greatly. The needs of a 10-year-old who has not yet reached puberty and who is not sexually active will be considerably different from those of an 16-year-old who is on last stages of puberty or a 22-year-old unmarried or married.
As adolescents become adults, they consider sexual relations, marriage and parenthood as signs of maturity. They seek information and clues about sexual life from a variety of sources parents, peers, religious leaders, health providers, teachers, magazines, books, internet and mass media. While youth receive information from diverse sources, may not be adequate and authentic. Adolescents obtain information and make decisions within the context of the culture in which they live. Decisions and actions may be affected by violence, drug and alcohol use, school attendance, work, economic opportunities, self-image and autonomy in decision-making.
Young people need reproductive health services, but are often misunderstood, unrecognized or underestimated. Health services can help the adolescents:
· Protect and improve their current physical, emotional and reproductive health.
· Understand their sexuality and reproductive health needs.
· Learn to take active responsibility for their reproductive health.
· Prevent serious health problems and premature deaths due to complications from a too-early pregnancy or an unsafe abortion.
· Avoid STIs and HIV-AIDS.
· Make informed choices about reproductive health.Do you have information/answers to:
· How is adolescence defined in your community?
· Where do adolescents in your community obtain information about sexuality and reproductive health?
· Who are the most credible sources of information?
· Do adolescents receive most of their information from these credible sources?
· What reproductive health services do you think adolescents in your community need?
Adolescents' reproductive health needs are immense, but so are the obstacles young people face in trying to maintain good reproductive health.Lack knowledge and information.
· Young people lack basic knowledge of reproductive anatomy and physiology, how pregnancies or STIs occur, how to prevent them and where to obtain protection.
· Parents may feel ill-prepared, uncomfortable or embarrassed to talk about reproduction related information with their children.
· Well-meaning parents and other adults, eager to protect their children, may believe that education about sexuality and reproductive health will encourage young people to become sexually active.Lack of access to services and programs
· Youth may have little or no money to pay for services, lack transportation or do not know how to use services.
· Health workers may hold judgmental attitudes toward adolescent sexual activity.
· Health workers may not have up-to-date scientific information on contraceptive safety for adolescents.
· Health clinics may not be open at hours that are convenient for young people.
· Clinics often are designed for married women rather than single women, men or adolescents.
· Requirements for medical tests and pelvic exams may discourage young people from seeking contraception.
* In most cases, medical tests are not necessary for contraceptive use. A pelvic exam is necessary for diaphragm fitting and intrauterine device (IUD) insertion. However, pelvic exams, laboratory tests and breast exams are not essential for the use of pills, injectables, implants, most barrier methods or natural family planning. Blood pressure checks are advisable before pill use.Psychological or social barriers
· Adolescents may be afraid to admit they are doing masturbation, forepaly or having sex.
· They may hold unrealistic views of individual pregnancy and STI risks the "it cannot happen to me" syndrome.
· They worry that contraception will damage their health and future fertility.
· They are vulnerable to sexual violence, coercion and abuse.
· Girls may be reluctant to discuss reproductive health issues, fearing knowledge will be interpreted as promiscuity.
· Boys may be reluctant to ask questions about sexuality, fearing that lack of knowledge will mean loss of status among their peers.
· Sexual activity is often seen as a way for boys to gain status among their peers.
· They fear they will be shunned or stigmatized if they admit homosexual or bisexual behavior or desires.
· Young people may be afraid or embarrassed to seek help for rape or incest.
· Mass media tend to emphasize fun but not responsibility or consequences of sexual behavior.