The call for action - stepping up on Adolescent Sexual and
Reproductive Health
The importance of reproductive health is well recognized, not only to
improve women’s chances of surviving pregnancy and childbirth, but also
to contribute to related issues such as gender equality, adolescent
empowerment, improved maternal and child health, improved response to
HIV, greater education outcomes and poverty reduction (6,11,12,13). The
transition from the MDGs to the SDGs provides a strategic opportunity to
scale-up cost-effective interventions within the framework of the SDGs.
Investing in adolescent health and development is key to improving
survival and wellbeing, and critical for the success of the post-2015
development agenda (12,13). A number of approaches are recommended and
propose actions relevant to the Pacific context and settings. Programmes
for adolescents have proven most effective when they secure the full
involvement of adolescents in identifying their reproductive and sexual
health needs and in designing programmes that respond to those needs
(6,12,13).
To accelerate progress towards achieving improved adolescent health in
the framework of the SDGs, efforts to address reproductive rights and
SRH must be guided by the principles of universal human rights, gender
equity and social equality (7,9,12). The most powerful actions for
adolescent health and wellbeing are intersectoral, multilevel, and
multicomponent and engage and empower young people themselves to be part
of change and accountability mechanisms (7,12).
Support for adolescents should be based on information that helps them
attain a level of maturity required to make responsible decisions.
Information and services should be made available to help them
understand their sexuality and protect them from unwanted pregnancies,
unsafe abortion, sexually transmitted infections and subsequent risk of
infertility. This should be combined with the education of young men to
respect women’s rights and self-determination and to share
responsibility with women in matters of sexuality and reproduction.