MDG 5: 3 BILLION Reasons to Invest in Young People’s Sexual and Reproductive Health
09/16/2010
Pathfinder's Gwyn Hainsworth and Kristy Kade: Invest in 3 billion young people now
Seldom does there exist such a clear opportunity to positively impact the course of developing nations as there is to be made now by investing in today's generation of young people. Acting to protect and promote the sexual and reproductive health of today's 3 billion young people is a matter of urgency for donors, developing country governments, and the international health community alike. The reasons for action are numerous and compelling, here we name just a few.
1. Young people are 3 billion strong. Today's generation of young people is the largest in history. Half of the world's population, approximately some 3 billion people, is under the age of 25, with almost 1.8 billion between the ages of 10 and 24. Through their sheer size in numbers they can be either one of our greatest challenges or greatest opportunities. We say greatest opportunity. Today's 3 billion young people represent 3 billion assets for sustained development - both within and well-beyond individual country borders. For them to succeed tomorrow, however, we must succeed for them today and provide them the opportunity to adopt healthy sexual and reproductive behaviors and decision-making.
2. Sexual and reproductive health is a human right. No age restrictions can be applied to a human right. Young people should be able to exercise fully their right to participate in decisions that affect their lives. Sexual and reproductive health decisions are fundamental to one's self esteem and self determination. How can young people exercise this right when, in at least a dozen countries around the world, half of all girls become married before age 18, many before they reach puberty? We have an obligation to work to change social norms, prevent early and unequal marriages, and to provide comprehensive services to prevent and treat the unhealthy consequences that inevitably arise from early marriage and other human rights abuses.
3. The sexual and reproductive health burden of young people today in developing countries is staggering. In every way one can measure sexual and reproductive health, young people in developing countries are among those most at risk and are most in need. Every year, young people experience 100 million cases of sexually transmitted infections.1 Almost half of all new HIV infections globally are among youth, aged 15-24.2 The leading cause of death among young women aged 15-19 in developing countries is due to complications from pregnancy and childbirth. The maternal death rate for this cohort of women is twice as high as older women.3
4. Young people represent significant possible gains in global health outcomes. Greater attention to the SRH needs of young people could bend the curve in the HIV and AIDS pandemic and help alleviate the burden of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Furthermore, targeting young people with contraceptive information and services before they begin childbearing can have a significant impact on realizing lifetime fertility preferences, increasing contraceptive use, and reducing total fertility. Ultimately, if today's 3 billion young people are given access to contraception and the ability to make their own reproductive decisions - including the timing of their first and subsequent births - the result could be an unprecedented fertility transition.
5. Young people are an economic force. The short-, medium-, and long-term potential of their productivity provide countries with their best chance to strengthen investments in human capital and reduce poverty. We must support young people in becoming healthy, educated and productive citizens. Young people who have access to reproductive health information and services are more likely to delay childbirth, have healthier babies, attain higher literacy rates, and grow into productive adults who contribute to the economic growth of their countries.
6. The costs of ignoring girls' sexual and reproductive health are astounding. What we have learned at great cost is that unless young people's sexual and reproductive health is protected and promoted, their prospects for becoming educated and productive members of their community are profoundly diminished. This is especially true for young girls. In India alone, for example, researchers estimated that adolescent pregnancy in 2004 resulted in nearly $100 billion of lost potential income.4 Let us never forget the powerful economic force that young women, especially, represent in most developing country economies.
7. Investment in young people's sexual and reproductive health is essential to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Five of the eight goals specifically refer to young people and improved adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health directly underpins goals 3-8 and indirectly affects the achievement of goals 1 and 2.5 These goals will not be met until and unless young people have access to information and services that enable them to delay marriage and childbearing, avert unintended pregnancies, and prevent STIs and HIV. This contributes to improved health and education outcomes (especially for girls and young women), the growth of individuals as productive and healthy citizens as well as increased prospects for social and economic progress, the promotion of gender equality, and overall reductions in poverty.
8. Gender inequality, gender-based violence, and harmful traditional practices. A critical element of long-term, sustainable progress in improving the lives of people living in developing countries is success in climbing the steep path of gender equality. We must intervene at an early age with both boys and girls to instill gender norms that value girls and women.
9. We know investment in young people's sexual and reproductive health pays both short-term and long-term dividends. We know equipping adolescent girls and young women with information, life skills, and access to SRH services enables them to control their fertility and other critical aspects of their lives. We know when young women avoid unintended pregnancy they are more likely to stay in school. We know when women start childbearing at an older age, they have fewer and healthier children. We know educating young people, including providing them with comprehensive sexuality education and access to condoms, enables them to make informed decisions and actions regarding their health and lives in general, and their sexual and reproductive behavior in particular, and can lead to healthier adult populations. We know when donors and governments invest in the sexual and reproductive health of young people the result is a healthy labor force and a strengthened economy for years.
10. Young people's sexual and reproductive health is critical to girls' empowerment. The global health community is beginning to recognize the role that young people play in development. A number of important initiatives to promote the empowerment of adolescent girls in developing countries have been launched over the past several years-many aimed at empowering young women through education and economic opportunity. Opportunities and prospects for adolescent girls and young women are unlikely to change, however, without equal and committed attention paid to their sexual and reproductive well-being and without also engaging and meeting the SRH needs of adolescent boys and young men.
11. We know what to do in order to make a difference. All of the advocacy in the world would ring hollow if we did not know how to protect and promote young people's sexual and reproductive health. Fortunately, after several decades of accumulated programming experience, certain interventions have emerged as instrumental in improving the SRH of young people, such as comprehensive sexuality education, integrated youth-friendly services, and community-based behavior change programs aimed at delaying the age of marriage and first birth. We know what to do and how to do it for both married and unmarried young people. The mandate today is to get on with the work of getting the job done.
12. There are countless ways we are connected in this world. We are connected, however, in the most positive way through young people, and universal aspirations for them. It is only an accident of birth that enables some young people to live protected, healthy lives and others to live highly vulnerable lives. With collective effort, we can expand by millions the number of young people who will join the ranks of those who feel safe, their sexual and reproductive health secure, and their lives filled with great potential.
Pathfinder's 3 Billion Reasons campaign calls on the international donor community and developing country governments to act and to act now to protect and promote young people's sexual and reproductive health. Learn more at www.3billionreasons.org.
References
1 Dehne K, Riedner, G. Sexually transmitted infections among adolescents: The need for adequate health services. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2005.
2 HIV/AIDS and Young People: Hope for tomorrow. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); 2003
3 State of the World's Mothers. Save the Children; 2004.
4 Chaaban, J., and W. Cunningham. 2009. "The Opportunity Cost of Not Investing in Adolescent Girls." Mimeo, Nike Foundation.
5 UNFPA. Adding It Up: The Benefits of Investing Sexual and Reproductive Health Care. 2003.
This article is part of a series that support the issues highlighted in Women Deliver.
Gwyn Hainsworth is director of the 3 Billion Reasons campaign at Pathfinder International. Kristy Kade is deputy director of the 3 Billion Reasons campaign at Pathfinder International.
I work on reproductive and sexual health issues at the grass-roots. As a member of the WGNRR I want to add my voice to the Call for the modification of the high level advisory panel in order to respect principles of gender parity, to include women as advisors for MDG 5, and increase the number of representatives from the Global South, with an emphasis on those from civil society organizations.
— Dr Gwewasang on 2010-09-23
The significant gains made by civil society organizations over the few years on gender issues should serve as a basis for increment in their representation for MDG5.
— Fahnlon B. Gbakoyah on 2010-10-02
Forced early marriage practices on females in the northern part of my country is such a big issue..You help in the spread of HIV/AIDS when you violate the rights of others. As a member of a Youth Rescue Club of an NG0[ARFH] in Nigeria I believe Gender inequality is such a big treat,by investing on our young people on SRH young people will know their individual right and their will be a great reduction in the spread of HIV/AIDS and other STIs..so we could have a greater future!
— Olajide Kehinde on 2010-10-06
Could you please give me more info on the loop?
— kokie on 2010-10-07