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More than 1 billion people are between 15 and
24 years of age. As the largest-ever generation of young people
enters adulthood, education and information can affect when they
marry, how many children they will have, and the future well-being
of their families and the nations in which they live. For young
women, the right to exercise greater control over their sexual and
reproductive lives - free from coercion, discrimination and violence
- is the key to a better future.
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Since 1980, over 50 per cent of the increase in younger people
has been in sub-Saharan Africa. In actual numbers, there are
more young people in Asia because it is home to more of the
world's population (60 per cent).
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As these young people enter their childbearing years, their
numbers will ensure population momentum: even if fertility fell
immediately to the replacement level of 2.1 children, about
two thirds of the population growth currently projected would
still take place.
For both girls and boys, UNFPA strongly advocates
the right to reproductive health information and services. We support
programmes that work closely with young people and solicit the support
of their parents, teachers, religious leaders, communities and countries.
UNFPA supports programmes that promote healthy adolescent development
and, among sexually active young people, safer and responsible sexual
behaviour. Access to culturally sensitive and youth-friendly reproductive
health information and services is a priority for protection against
STIs, including HIV, and unwanted pregnancy.
The ICDP Programme of Action calls on countries
to "address adolescent sexual and reproductive issues, including
unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion and sexually transmitted diseases,
including HIV/AIDS."
Unwanted and early pregnancy is usually the consequence
of lack of access to information and services, unwanted sexual relations,
unprotected sex or ineffective use of contraception. The unmet need
for contraception is greater for young people than that of any other
age group.
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One in every 10 births worldwide is to a teenage mother.
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In least developed countries, 1 in every 6 births is to young
women aged 15 to 19.
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More than 4.4 million young women aged 15 to 19 undergo abortions
every year, nearly half under unsafe conditions.
The onset of sexual activity marks the beginning
of exposure to pregnancy as well as to potential health hazards,
including many different STIs.
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Each day, 500,000 young people are infected with an STI, most
in the 20 to 24 age group, followed by the 15 to 19 age group.
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STIs significantly increase the risk of infection by HIV. Half
of all new HIV infections occur in people under the age of 25.
Most HIV-positive young people do not know they
carry the virus. Many millions more know nothing or too little about
HIV to protect themselves against it. In hard-hit countries, girls
are being infected with HIV at a much higher rate than boys.
Adolescent girls and young women face risks every
day from unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, HIV/AIDS and other
STIs, and sexual abuse. Poverty and low socio-economic status add
to the danger. Signs of discrimination against girls are everywhere:
the expectation of early marriage and early pregnancy, the 2 million
young girls who face female genital cutting each year, the fact
that approximately 60 per cent of children aged 6 to 11 not in school
are girls. Half of all girls under 18 are married in some countries,
often in response to poverty or fear of out-of-wedlock pregnancy.
Specific actions can help young people avoid unwanted
and too-early pregnancy, reduce recourse to abortion, and prevent
the spread of STIs such as HIV/AIDS. Moreover, respecting their
rights to health and education will help prepare them for lives
as responsible and productive adults. Increasingly, young men are
the focus of efforts to promote responsible sexual behavior and
reproductive health.
UNFPA helps governments reach both in-school and
out-of-school youth with information and services on reproductive
health. Programmes for young people:
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Improve accessibility and affordability of health services
and information;
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Offer sensitive and respectful counselling in a youth-friendly
environment;
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Foster youth participation and leadership;
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Empower girls to delay marriage and childbearing;
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Involve parents, teachers and community leaders;
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Promote education and communication for responsible and healthy
reproductive and sexual behaviour (many studies have shown that
sex education does not lead to promiscuity).
Information, education and communication activities
address the risks associated with sexual practices, early pregnancy
and childbearing. Information and education are most effective when
sexually active adolescents and youth have access to appropriate
services.
Improving the reproductive health of young people
requires the support of communities, equal access for girls and
boys and the participation of young people themselves. It also requires
the commitment and leadership of government at all levels, with
the necessary resources and a willingness to speak out on behalf
of the young. The future is at stake for millions of young people
at risk of too early and unwanted pregnancy and HIV/AIDS.
Promoting the reproductive health and rights of
young people remains a controversial topic in most countries, involving
sensitive issues of sexuality and parental rights and duties. UNFPA
works within country programmes and with national partners to advocate
for programmes and policies that foster the reproductive health
of all people, including adolescents and youth. The support of parents,
teachers, and religious and community leaders not only expands access
to information and services but empowers young people to take responsibility
for choices and behaviours that have lifelong consequences.
UNFPA encourages the participation of young people
themselves in the design, implementation and evaluation of policies,
programmes and services. Caring adults can facilitate the involvement
of young people in decisions directly affecting their lives, families
and communities. Youth leaders around the world have organized groups
and formed networks on many development issues, including economic
opportunities, environmental protection and reproductive rights.
Peer education is a particularly effective means of reaching other
young people with messages about delaying the age of sexual activity
and other reproductive health decisions that can impact their lives
far into the future.
Equal opportunities for women and men start with
the way girls and boys are raised. Compared to boys, poor girls
receive less schooling, less food, less health care and less pay
for their work. The gender gap in education places girls at a disadvantage
from the start. South Asia is home to 43 million out-of-school children,
including 26 million girls. Sub Saharan Africa is home to 50 million
out-of-school children, including 27 million girls. Education for
girls means many more choices in life - about marriage, when to
have children and how to earn the income they need to rise out of
poverty.
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The popular UNFPA-supported television series "I Need
to Know" continues to reach adolescents in Nigeria with
information about reproductive health. Parent-child communication
is encouraged by the weekly 30-minute series, which revolves
around the lives of seven secondary school students.
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Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in the Arab States have been learning
about reproductive health as part of a programme conducted by
regional and national NGOs and supported by UNFPA. Group leaders
promote advocacy, information and education activities that
are sensitive to issues of gender and culture.
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Young people are gaining the attention of policy makers in
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
with outreach activities that advocate their right to reproductive
health and sexuality education.
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More than 2,500 adolescents in Nicaragua participated in eight
training workshops to become promoters and facilitators in peer
education activities to convey information about sexual and
reproductive health.
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In Viet Nam, six television spots were aired on national television
during popular sports matches, aiming to reach a young audience
with messages on the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and HIV/AIDS,
male responsibility and gender equity.
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- Pregnancy before age 18 carries
many health risks: girls age 10 to 14 are five times
more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women
aged 20 to 24.
- Adolescent mothers are more likely to drop out of
high school and sacrifice university studies and career
plans. This harms their ability to participate fully
in society, earn income and care for themselves and
their children.
- Adolescent mothers will have more children than those
who start childbearing later. Ultimate population size
depends not only on the size of completed families but
on decisions about when to start them - raising the
mother's age at first birth from 18 to 23 could reduce
population momentum by over 40 per cent.
- At least 1 in 10 abortions worldwide occurs among
women aged 15 to 19. More than 4.4 million young women
in this age group have abortions every year; 40 per
cent of which are performed under unsafe conditions.
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