Approaches to adolescents: audience-specific strategies. Guidelines from UNFPA
Sikes, O.J.
Population Education in Asia and the Pacific Newsletter 1995(42): 24-26
1995
PMID: 12319765 Document Number: 298368
Population organizations have a particular interest in adolescents' reproductive health, with emphasis on the prevention of early pregnancy. It is essential that information, education, and communication (IEC) and service personnel have a clear picture of the persons most affected by them. 1) The group that is easiest to identify is made up of adolescents who are in school. One obvious way to reach them is through the school system. This particular group may be subdivided again, into those who are at risk of early pregnancy and those who are not. Adolescents who are in school and at risk of pregnancy will need special attention. In addition to class work, individual counseling may have an impact. Appropriate school personnel and peer counsellors will be needed in order to enhance communication with adolescents who need guidance. Also, health services should provide contraceptives, sexually transmitted diseases/HIV and other reproductive-related screening and treatment as well as prenatal care for those adolescents who are pregnant. 2) A second major subgrouping is made up of married adolescents. The health risks associated with young maternal age are present whether or not the young mother is married. 3) Those couples who are living together without a marriage license pose a more formidable challenge than the other two groups because they are less easy to identify. Outreach workers can also work with couples in union, especially difficult-to-reach unmarried, out-of-school adolescents. 4) Others sexually active may be students and street children. Each of these four main categories of adolescents offers an entry point for IEC. Two types of data are needed: one to give an overview of the number of births to adolescents and/or ages-specific fertility rate; the second, to physically locate the individuals/couples in need of attention through clinic records, community surveys, or censuses.