Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Developing Countries: An Overview of Trends and Interventions (Overview) (Report‪)‬

Today there are more than one billion 10-19 year olds, (1) 70% of whom live in developing nations. (2) They are growing up in circumstances quite different from those of their parents, with greater access to formal education, increasing need for such technological skills as computer and internet literacy, different job opportunities, and more exposure to new ideas through media, telecommunications and other avenues. (2) The environment in which young people are making decisions related to sexual and reproductive health is also rapidly evolving. Rates of sexual initiation during young adulthood are rising or remaining unchanged in many developing countries, (3), (4) childbearing and marriage are increasingly unlinked, (5) and in many countries, high HIV prevalence adds to the risks associated with early sexual activity. (6), (7) For example, in all but a few countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, AIDS is a generalized epidemic. Young people are disproportionately affected, accounting for almost two-thirds of the people living with HIV in the region. Moreover, the prevalence of HIV among adolescents is higher in Sub-Saharan Africa than in other parts of the world. (8)