It is well recognized that reproductive health is one of the most important components of human health. It thus includes informing, educating and counseling on sex and creation of responsibility in both sexes with respect to the cultural conditions of the society, counseling, education and treatment of sexually diffused infections.
Studies have stipulated that more than a quarter of the world’s population is between the ages of 10 and 24, with 86% living in less developed countries like Ethiopia. These young people are tomorrow’s parents and the coming generation who can take over the country with its future. The reproductive and sexual health decisions they make today will affect the health and well-being of the young generation.
Taking this fact into account, The Ethiopian Herald has a stay with Maereg Chalew, a gender specialist graduated from Addis Ababa University, to have professional standpoint regarding the youth and its association with reproductive health.
He said, “If truth be told, 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. Yes, changes during adolescence need to be well reviewed and it is important to deal with adolescents’ reproductive health problems. Besides, it is important to assess factors affecting adolescents’ risk-taking behaviors and its consequences.”
According to Maereg, reproductive health of vulnerable adolescent girls is a top priority in various national, continental and even global programs. Alcohol consumption, drug abuse, high risk sexual behaviors, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual assault, escape from home, unrestrained sex in the family, history of robbery, imprisonment and living in drug hangouts expose adolescents to different sorts of damage and injury.
Assessing girls’ reproductive health needs and designing programs to improve their sexual and reproductive health seem to be essential in helping save adolescent girls, who are at risk of AIDS and other STDs, unwanted pregnancies, illegal and unsafe abortions, unplanned pregnancy and childbirth, and unsafe motherhood.
Timely and appropriate prevention and treatment of the complications of abortion, family planning and provision of services in this regard, prevention and appropriate treatment of infertility, provision of prenatal care, safe delivery and postpartum care have to be well applied.
Asked about why it is important to provide services for adolescents and young people? Maereg stated that adolescence is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood during which adolescents develop biologically and psychologically and move towards independence.
He further stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) defines an adolescent as an individual in the 10-19 years age group and usually uses the term young person to denote those between 10 and 24 years.
Undeniably, adolescents are the most important target group in reproductive health programs. Moreover, more than other age groups, adolescents are more susceptible to substance abuse, smoking, alcohol, and engaging in risky behaviors, including unsafe sexual relationships. These factors make adolescents vulnerable to numerous problems like sexually transmitted diseases, he added.
Therefore, he said identifying the reproductive health needs of vulnerable adolescent girls by taking into account all the factors affecting it in the present situation of the society is quite important to save the generation.
As to him, young people are not affected equally by reproductive health problems. Orphans, young girls in rural areas, young people who are physically or mentally impaired, abused or have been abused as children and those migrating to urban areas or being trafficked are more likely to have problems.
“Despite their numbers, adolescents have not traditionally been considered a health priority in many countries including Ethiopia. While the country has been implementing major interventions to reduce child mortality and morbidity, interventions addressing the health needs of young people have been limited. Young people often have less access to information, services and resources than those who are older. Health services are rarely designed specifically to meet their needs and health workers only occasionally receive specialist training in issues pertinent to adolescent sexual health. It is perhaps not surprising therefore that there are particularly low levels of health-seeking behavior among young people. Similarly, young people in a variety of contexts have reported that access to contraception and condoms is difficult.”
The newspaper also approached Megdelawit Muluneh, a social worker who graduated from Hawassa University and working as a family planning trainer, to share experiences in this regard. She said, “Young people are the future of societies, and their needs should be addressed in order to have healthy and productive citizens. If the nation is to address its rapid population growth, it is crucial to acknowledge the importance of the reproductive health concerns of adolescents and young people, particularly in their decisions related to the avoidance of unwanted pregnancy.”
As to Megdelawit, the government of Ethiopia has adopted policies and strategies to address some of the social, economic, educational and health problems faced by young people. When developing and implementing interventions the government needs to take into account that while many adolescents and young people share common characteristics, their needs vary by age, sex, educational status, marital status, migration status and residence.
She further elucidated that an activity that is suitable for those in early adolescence, 10-14 years old, may not be suitable for those in post-adolescence, 20-24 years old. For instance, those in their early adolescence are more likely to be in primary schools, not yet married and hence less likely to have started sexual relationships, all of which determine the type of information and services that would be appropriate for them.
Generally, she said girls and women are treated as inferior and they are given fewer privileges and less access to resources. The roles they have within the given community are different to the roles given to men. Gender refers to the socially and culturally defined roles for males and females.
Yes, she said adolescent sexual and reproductive health entails the physical and emotional wellbeing of adolescents and includes their ability to remain free from unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, STIs and all forms of sexual violence and coercion.
She further elucidated that one of the important concerns of young people is their sexual relationships. True, puberty is the time in which sexual and physical characteristics mature. The exact age a child enters puberty depends on a number of different things, such as genes, nutrition and sex. Most girls and boys enter puberty between 10-16 years of age although some start earlier or later. Girls tend to enter puberty two years before boys. So as to promote young reproductive health, it is crucial to provide access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, empower young people with information, and create a supportive environment.
Although adolescents tend to be less informed than adults, they often have a sense of having unlimited power, feelings of invulnerability and impulsiveness that can lead to reckless behavior. They are curious and have a natural inclination to experiment. There is conflict between their own emerging values and beliefs and those of their parents and so adolescents may be trying to demonstrate these differences by experimenting with drugs and law-breaking activities, she underlined.
The Ethiopian Government has endorsed all major international conventions concerning reproductive health rights, including those that are specific to adolescents and young people. For example, the Revised Family Law prohibits marriage of both boys and girls before the age of 18 years, and all the rights for adolescents and young people which are applicable in Ethiopia are well recognized.
Generally, one of the most important components of human health is reproductive health, which comprises planning to have a better health, especially with particular regard to women and girls, is one of the essential steps in ensuring the health of the family and society. Unequivocally, promoting youth reproductive health is of paramount importance in well informing them thereby coming up with healthy, productive and competent generation who can confidently understand what is expected of them.
BY MENGESHA AMARE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 5 JUNE 2025
