Motherhood in Childhood

s Youth peer
educators of
Geração Biz
in Maputo,
Mozambique.
© UNFPA/Pedro
Sá da Bandeira
Additionally, the proportion of marriages of girls
before age 18 fell to 61.8 per cent compared to
80.7 per cent for girls outside the programme
(Pande et al., 2006).
Attitudes of boys and men have a significant
impact on the health, rights, social status and
well-being of girls and thus on girls’ vulnerability
to pregnancy. In many countries, UNFPA
supports programmes to work with boys, male
adolescents and youth on sexuality, family life
and life-skills education to question current
stereotypes about masculinity, male risk-taking
behaviour (especially sexual behaviour) and to
promote their understanding of and support
for women’s rights and gender equality. In some
countries, UNFPA has partnered with national
institutions to raise awareness of the impact of
negative attitudes and harmful practices on
girls and women through school-based, ageappropriate,
comprehensive sexuality education
or with civil society organizations to engage
men and boys in dialogue about their attitudes
towards issues such as child marriage, contraception
and matters of sexual and reproductive
health and reproductive rights.
Investing in services for
adolescents and young people
Adolescents—married or unmarried—often lack
access to contraceptives and information about
their use. Barriers include a lack of knowledge of
where to obtain them, fear about being rejected
by service providers, opposition by a male partner,
community stigma about contraception or
adolescent sexuality, inconvenient locations or
clinic hours, costs, and concerns about privacy
and confidentiality.
To make it easier for adolescents to learn
about preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted
infections, including HIV, or to obtain
contraceptives, an increasing number of countries
have established youth-friendly sexual and
reproductive health services. Youth-friendly services
typically ensure adolescents’ privacy, are in
locations—and are open at hours—that are convenient
to young people, are staffed by providers
who are trained in meeting young people’s needs,
and offer a complete package of essential services.
Nicaragua, for example, is increasing disadvantaged
adolescents’ and young people’s access to
sexual and reproductive health services, including
70 CHAPTER 4: TAKING ACTION