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Motherhood in Childhood

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this often-overlooked group’s unique needs,<br />

vulnerabilities and challenges.<br />

At the ICPD, governments across the globe<br />

recognized the special needs of adolescents and<br />

youth and the unique barriers they face <strong>in</strong> access<strong>in</strong>g<br />

quality reproductive health <strong>in</strong>formation and<br />

services. Participat<strong>in</strong>g governments agreed to<br />

remove regulatory, legal, and social barriers that<br />

<strong>in</strong>hibit adolescents’ access to services. They also<br />

agreed that health services must safeguard the<br />

rights of adolescents to privacy and confidentiality,<br />

employ<strong>in</strong>g the evolv<strong>in</strong>g capacities standard<br />

for autonomous decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

4 Ensure adolescents’ access<br />

to comprehensive sexuality<br />

education, services and maternal<br />

health care<br />

Expand access to comprehensive sexuality<br />

education<br />

Age-appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education<br />

provides adolescents with vital <strong>in</strong>formation<br />

about prevent<strong>in</strong>g pregnancy and sexually transmitted<br />

<strong>in</strong>fections, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g HIV, and can promote<br />

gender equality. The ICPD global survey shows<br />

that about 76 per cent of countries were committed<br />

to age-appropriate sexuality education, about<br />

70 per cent were committed to revis<strong>in</strong>g curricula<br />

to make them more gender-sensitive and 69<br />

per cent supported life-skills tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g for young<br />

people through formal education. Increas<strong>in</strong>g<br />

access to age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality<br />

education—so that it reaches boys and girls and<br />

adolescents who are <strong>in</strong> or out of school, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

those from <strong>in</strong>digenous peoples and ethnic m<strong>in</strong>orities—would<br />

contribute to improved health of girls<br />

and boys, promote equitable gender relations, help<br />

prevent pregnancy, and <strong>in</strong> turn help girls rema<strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong> school and realize their full potential.<br />

Strengthen gender equality and rights<br />

aspects of the curriculum<br />

Research shows that the comprehensive sexuality<br />

education programmes that have had<br />

the greatest impact on reduc<strong>in</strong>g adolescent<br />

pregnancy and sexually transmitted <strong>in</strong>fections<br />

were those that addressed gender and<br />

power issues (Haberland and Rogow, 2013).<br />

Studies show that young people who believe<br />

<strong>in</strong> gender equality have better sexual health<br />

outcomes than their peers (International<br />

Sexuality and HIV Curriculum Work<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Group, 2011).<br />

Comprehensive sexuality education<br />

should therefore address issues of gender<br />

and rights <strong>in</strong> a mean<strong>in</strong>gful way. Young<br />

people who, compared to their peers, adopt<br />

egalitarian attitudes about gender roles<br />

are more likely to delay sexual debut, use<br />

condoms, and practice contraception; they<br />

also have lower rates of sexually transmitted<br />

<strong>in</strong>fections and un<strong>in</strong>tended pregnancy<br />

(Dupas, 2011).<br />

In addition, sexuality education is more<br />

likely to be effective <strong>in</strong> protect<strong>in</strong>g adolescents’<br />

health and prevent<strong>in</strong>g pregnancy if it<br />

is age-appropriate, comprehensive, based on<br />

evidence and core values and human rights,<br />

gender-sensitive, promotes academic growth<br />

and critical th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g, fosters civic engagement,<br />

and is culturally appropriate.<br />

The picture, however, rema<strong>in</strong>s sober<strong>in</strong>g<br />

with regard to reach<strong>in</strong>g marg<strong>in</strong>alized<br />

adolescents, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g those liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />

extreme poverty and married girls. Very<br />

few programmes reach these groups, especially<br />

adolescents who are not <strong>in</strong> school.<br />

Develop<strong>in</strong>g out-of-school programmes is<br />

therefore essential.<br />

88 CHAPTER 5: CHARTING THE WAY FORWARD

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