Existing Reproductive and Sexual Health Interventions toYoung People in South Asia
Adolescents are the group of people that belong to the period between childhood and adulthood.They are the priority targets for ensuring subsequent growth and development of soundreproductive health for the adult males and females (WHO 2004, Nasreen, H. 2003, Sayed J.Haider et al, 1997). In a report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, UNAIDS (2004 cited in Advocates for Youth, 2005) has reported that adolescents (people aged under 25) represent nearly half of the world population at present and that adolescents are the most significant group of people in the world in terms of their powerful role in future challenges and millennium development. The definition of reproductive and sexual health indicates that people should be able to have a satisfying and safe sex life (ICPD, 1994); this is one of the most significant issues for adolescents.Furthermore, decisions about their sexual and reproductive health affect not only their lives but also the community and their society (Advocates for Youth, 2005). UNAIDS report on Young People and HIV/AIDS in 2002 indicated that about 6,000 youths aged 15 to 24 are infected with HIV/AIDS everyday worldwide, every year adolescents face over 100 new cases of STIs and throughout the globe about 15 million young women aged 15 to 19 end up with unintended pregnancies (UNAIDS 2002; Boyd et al 2000; Advocates for Youth, 2005). It is, therefore,essential to address the reproductive and sexual health needs of young people in order to improve their reproductive and sexual health. Despite the significance of addressing adolescent reproductive and sexual health (ASRH), the reproductive and sexual health rights of young people are generally not well addressed in South Asia, and they are often ignored. As they are the dependent population of the society, the age group of adolescents varies even from report to report. However, since ICPD, adolescent reproductive and sexual health needs have been recognized as one of the major health and developmental concern in the region (UNFPA, 1998). It is critical, therefore, to study the existing SRH interventions for young people in South Asia.This report reviews literature and documents on existing reproductive and sexual health interventions for young people and examines the types of existing interventions, the number of interventions and the group of people that are reached through these interventions. The report also identifies the underlying factors of low persistence of addressing ASRH in South Asia i.e. the operational barriers and the laws and policies that pertain to ASRH especially, in India, Pakistan,Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.The report begins with a discussion on existing interventions in Bangladesh and follows a chronological order, depending upon the availability of well-articulated information. Because of the overwhelming number of interveners in India, it was difficult to discuss segregated activities of the organizations and, hence, the report is organized around the existing interventions in particular. It discusses these interventions, outlines the similarities and differences of the interventions from country to country and identifies the gaps and issues in the interventions.