World Health Organization defines adolescents as individuals between 10 and 19

years of age. The broader terms "youth" and young encompass the 15 to
24 year-old and 10 to 24 year-old age groups, respectively.
For girls, puberty is a process generally marked by the production of estrogen, the growth
of breasts, the appearance of pubic hair, the growth of external genitals, and the start of
menstruation. For boys, it is marked by the production of testosterone, the enlargement
of testes and penis, a deepening of the voice and a growth spurt.

Characteristics of the adolescence period

The period is characterized by:

The period when the individual progresses from the point of initial appearance of
secondary sex characteristics to sexual maturity.

It is period when psychological processes and patterns of identification to those of

an adult.

Transition from the state of total

socio-economic dependence to relative

independence.

Period of rapid physiological changes and vulnerability to physical, psychological

and environmental influences.

Period of physical, biological, psychological and social maturity from childhood to

adulthood.

Transition from childhood to adulthood involves adjustment encompassing physiological,

psychological, cognitive, social and economic changes. The process is universal, but varies
by individual and culture.

Table 5: Effects of social environment on adolescent RH behavior

Factors

Positive influences

Negative influences

Education

Good health and sex

education followed by correct
behavior

Media

Spread information on healthy Pornography, smoking, crime (films,

sexuality
papers, advertisement)

Entertainment

Sports,
in
door
educational films

Family

Integrated stable families are Abusive behaviour in

role models. They can give families Disintegrated
appropriate information and families
guidance on healthy life style

Residence
Religion

Early unwanted pregnancy, school

dropping, unemployment, prostitution,
drug abuse, crime, etc,

games,

Crimes, drugs and alcohol

prostitution, early sexual activities

Healthy neighborhood
Spiritual support

abuse,

"negative neighborhood" e.g.

prostitution areas

Prohibition of information on sexuality

Facilitation of the adolescents

in different activities
Health services

Accessible information
services for adolescents

Reproductive Health

and

Negative attitudes of health professionals

on adolescent sexuality

Risks and consequences for adolescents

Adolescent reproductive health is affected by pregnancy, abortion, STIs, sexual violence,

and by the systems that limit access to information and clinical services. Reproductive
health is also affected by nutrition, psychological well-being, and economic and gender
inequities that can make it difficult to avoid forced, coerced, or commercial sex.

Pregnancy:
In many parts of the world, women marry and begin childbearing during their adolescent
years. Pregnancy and childbirth carry greater risk of morbidity and mortality for adolescents
than for women in their 20s, especially where medical care is scarce. Girls younger than age
18 face two to five times the risk of maternal mortality as women aged 18-25 due to
prolonged and obstructed labor, hemorrhage, and other factors. Potentially life- threatening
pregnancy-related illnesses such as hypertension and anemia also are more common
among adolescent mothers, especially where malnutrition is endemic. One in every 10 births
worldwide and 1 in 6 births in developing countries is to women aged 15-19 years.
Unsafe abortion:

About one in 10 abortions worldwide occurs among women age 15-19 and each year one
million to 4.4 million adolescents in developing countries undergo abortion, and most of
these procedures are performed under unsafe conditions due to:
- Lack of access to safe services.
- Self-induced methods
- Unskilled or non-medical providers
- Delay in seeking procedure

Adolescent unwanted pregnancies often end in abortion. Surveys in developing countries

show that up to 60 percent of pregnancies to women below age 20 are mistimed or
unwanted.
STIs, including HIV/AIDS

The highest rates of infection for STIs, including HIV, are found among young people
aged 20 to 24;

the next highest rate occurs among adolescents aged 15 to 19.

Sexually transmitted infections can lead to life-long health problems, including infertility.
Worldwide, half of all sexually transmitted infections occur in adolescents. Approximately
333 million cases of curable STIs occur each year and each day half a million young
people are infected with a sexually transmitted diseases, available data suggest that onethird of STIs infections in developing countries occur among 13-20 year olds, one out of
every 20 adolescents contracts STI,. In rural Kenya, for example, 41 percent of women
aged 15-24 attending maternal and child health or family planning clinics had STI,
compared to about 16 percent of all women of reproductive age. Adolescents also are at
increased risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. Recent estimates are that over 40 percent of HIV
infections occur in young people aged 15-24; 7,000 of 16,000 new infections each day.
New infections among females out number males by a ratio of 2 to 1.