ADOLOESECENT SEXUAL REPODUCTIVE
Introduction to Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health (AYRH)
Introduction
More than a quarter of the world’s population is between the ages of 10 and 24, with 86% living in less developed countries. These young people are tomorrow’s parents. The reproductive and sexual health decisions they make today will affect the health and wellbeing of their communities and of their countries for decades to come.
In particular, two issues have a profound impact on young people’s sexual health and reproductive lives: family planning and HIV/AIDS. Teenage girls are more likely to die from pregnancy-related health complications than older women in their 20s. Statistics indicate that one-half of all new HIV infections worldwide occur among young people aged 15 to 24.
In this study session you will learn about changes during adolescence and why it is important to deal with adolescents’ reproductive health problems. You will learn about factors affecting adolescents’ risk-taking behaviours and its consequences. You will also learn the importance of raising awareness about adolescent reproductive health rights.
When you have studied this session, you should be able to:
- Define and use correctly all of the key words printed in bold.
- Show that you understand that different groups of adolescents have different needs.
- Briefly describe the biological and psychosocial changes during adolescence.
- Explain why adolescents are especially vulnerable to reproductive health risks.
- Show that you are aware of adolescent reproductive health rights and the need to provide appropriate information and services.
Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health
More than a quarter of the world’s population is between the ages of 10 and 24, with 86% living in less developed countries. These young people are tomorrow’s parents. The reproductive and sexual health decisions they make today will affect the health and wellbeing of their communities and of their countries for decades to come.
In particular, two issues have a profound impact on young people’s sexual health and reproductive lives: family planning and HIV/AIDS. Teenage girls are more likely to die from pregnancy-related health complications than older women in their 20s. Statistics indicate that one-half of all new HIV infections worldwide occur among young people aged 15 to 24.
In this session you will learn about changes during adolescence and why it is important to deal with adolescents’ reproductive health problems. You will learn about factors affecting adolescents’ risk-taking behaviours and its consequences. You will also learn the importance of raising awareness about adolescent reproductive health rights.
The purpose of counselling young people on reproductive health issues is to help them to:
Make rational decisions
Cope with their existing situation.
The more a young person can be made comfortable, the more likely they are to express their sexual and reproductive health problems. This enables you to effectively counsel and serve them so that they can achieve control over their own behaviour, understand themselves, anticipate the consequences of their actions, and making long-term plans.
In counselling there are two actors: you the counsellor and the young person. Your behaviour as well as the characteristics of the young person can affect the counselling process. Counselling is a person-to-person, two-way communication during which you:
Provide adequate information to help the young person make an informed decision
Help the young person evaluate their feelings and opinions regarding the problem for which help was sought
Act as emotional support for them.
Counselling is not:
A method of providing solutions to the young person’s problems
A method of giving instructions
The promotion of a life plan that has been successful for you.
General principles of counselling
Adolescents are going through dramatic biological and psychological changes, as described in Study Session 1 of this Module, and, as a result of these changes, seeking healthcare may be challenging and difficult for them. In the first instance you need to remember and apply the general principles and concepts of counselling before thinking of the additional considerations required to meet the needs of this special group.
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