WUNRN
Institute for Reproductive Health
Georgetown University
Investing in Sexual
& Reproductive Health of 10 to 14-Year-OIds Yields Lifetime Benefits
July
17, 2014 - WASHINGTON — Age 10 to
14 years, a time when both girls and boys are constructing their own identities
and are typically open to new ideas and influences, provides a unique narrow
window of opportunity for parents, teachers, healthcare providers and others to
facilitate transition into healthy teenage and adulthood years according to
researchers from Georgetown University’s Institute for Reproductive Health who
note the lack worldwide of programs to help children of this age navigate
passage from childhood to adulthood.
An estimated 1.2 billion adolescents live in the world today —
the largest number of adolescents in history. Half are between the ages of 10
and 14 — years of critical transition from child to teenager. These are the
years in which puberty is experienced, bringing with it physical and other
changes that may be difficult for a youngster to understand, yet set the stage
for future sexual and reproductive health.
Nevertheless, the opportunity to reach very young adolescents
during the very years when sexual and reproductive health behaviors lasting a
lifetime are being developed is frequently missed, the Institute for Reproductive Health researchers
note. They report that educators, program designers, policy-makers or others
typically do not view 10 to 14 year olds as a priority because the long-term
benefits and value of investing in them goes unrecognized.
In “Investing in Very Young Adolescents’
Sexual and Reproductive Health” published online in the
peer-reviewed journal Global Public Health, in advance of print publication in
issue 9:5-6, the Institute for Reproductive Health researchers advocate the
investment of resources to lay foundations for future healthy relationships and
positive sexual and reproductive health, identifying specific approaches to
reach these very young adolescents. They say that programs to engage 10 to 14
year olds must be tailored to meet their unique developmental needs and take
into account the important roles of parents and guardians and others who
influence very young adolescents.
“Ten is not too young to help girls and boys understand their
bodies and the changes that are occurring. Ten is not too young to begin to
move them from ignorance to knowledge,” said Rebecka Lundgren, MPH, senior author
of the paper. “We need to reach 10 to 14 year olds, often through their parents
or schools, to teach them about their bodies and support development of a
healthy body image and a strong sense of self worth. We also need to hear their
voices — the voices of the under-heard and underserved. Ten is not too young.”
Lundgren is the director of research at the Institute for Reproductive Health.
The paper notes that preventive reproductive and sexual health
services designed to suit the needs of very young adolescents are virtually
non-existent in lower- and middle-income countries and that worldwide, family
life education, youth centers, and youth-friendly health services with programs
specifically targeted to 10 to 14 year olds rarely exist.
According to the World Health Organization and other groups,
misinformation abounds about fertility (including first menstruation and
ejaculation), sex, sexuality and gender identity in this age group. Very young
adolescents often rely on equally uninformed peers or older siblings and the
media for information.
According to Lundgren, the few existing programs for youths age
10 to 14 years typically focus on girls. “We need to expand that focus to
include boys, laying a foundation for both girls and boys to learn and
communicate with peers, parents, teachers and health providers as they develop
positive self images and healthy practices in order to move this age group from
vulnerability to empowerment.”
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Authors of the Global Public Health
paper, in addition to Lundgren, are Institute consultants Susan M. Igras, MPH;
Marjorie Macieira, M.A.; and Elaine Murphy, Ph.D. Support for this paper was
provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under the
terms of the Cooperative Agreement [No. GPO-A-00-07-00003-00].
Georgetown University’s Institute for
Reproductive Health has more than 25 years of experience in designing and
implementing evidence-based programs that address critical needs in sexual and
reproductive health. The Institute’s areas of research and program
implementation include family planning, adolescents, gender equality, fertility
awareness, and mobilizing technology for reproductive health. The Institute is highly
respected for its focus on the introduction and scale-up of sustainable
approaches to family planning and fertility awareness around the world. For
more information, visit www.irh.org.