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Adolescent Pregnancy and Protective Behaviors (The Facts) (available online only)
Although U.S. teens are increasingly adopting protective sexual behaviors, they face barriers to consistency in these behaviors. Advocates examines statistics from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey and other sources to better understand young people’s risk behaviors and protective behaviors.
Adolescent Reproductive Health in Nigeria (The Facts) (available online only)
One third (36.5 million) of Nigeria's total population of 123 million are youth between the ages of 10 and 24.By 2025, the number of Nigerian youth will exceed 57 million. Lack of sexual health information and services places these young people at risk for pregnancy, abortion, sexually transmitted infections (STI), and HIV/AIDS. In addition, early marriage and childbearing limit youth's educational and employment opportunities. Yet, effective, innovative programs can provide youth with the sexual health information and services they need.
Adolescent Sexual & Reproductive Health in Sub-Saharan Africa (The Facts) (available online only)
Many governments in sub-Saharan Africa view with concern the region's continued rapid population growth, high birth rates, and escalating rates of HIV infection. Unprotected adolescent sexual activity significantly contributes to these numbers. Promoting contraceptive and condom use among youth can lead to decreases in morbidity and mortality due to unsafe pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV/AIDS, and can slow population growth. Many non-governmental organizations and some governments are working to meet the reproductive health needs of adolescents by providing sexuality education and life skills development, but more needs to be accomplished. Adolescent Sexual Behavior. I: Demographics (The Facts) (available online only)
In the United States, 45.6 percent of high school students and 79.5 percent of college students ages 18-24 have had sex. Sexual behavior differs by race/ethnicity, gender, partner preference, and urban/rural residence.
Adolescent Sexual Behavior. II: Socio-Psychological Factors (The Facts) (available online only)
Teens' decisions whether to have sex and whether to protect themselves from pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are influenced by many factors. Studies link sexual risk-taking with drug and alcohol use and physical and sexual abuse, while good parent-child relations, academic aspirations, and sports participation can promote sexually healthy decisions by teens.
Adolescent Sexual Health in Europe and the U.S.—Why the Difference? (The Facts) (Order publication - $1.00)
The United States has far worse rates of adolescent pregnancy, birth, abortion, HIV, and STIs than almost all countries in Europe. Advocates for Youth initiated study tours to France, Germany, and the Netherlands to understand the underlying causes behind these difference.
Arizona’s Youth: Focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health (State Facts) (available online only)
Get the facts on the youth of Arizona – adolescent reproductive and sexual health statistics; sex education policy; and special risks to young women, young people of color, and young GLBTQ people. Condom Effectiveness (The Facts) (Order publication - $1.00)
Many abstinence-only programs claim that condoms do not protect from HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and pregnancy. But studies have repeatedly shown, and the Centers for Disease Control asserts, that when used consistently and correctly, latex condoms are highly effective in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV (during vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse).Latex condoms are also effective in preventing pregnancy and several STIs.
European Approaches to Adolescent Sexual Behavior and Responsibility (Report) (Order publication - $20.00) Teen birth, abortion, and sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates in the United States are higher than in most other industrialized countries. For the last two decades, U.S. public health experts have worked to address these problems. One such effort, sponsored by Advocates for Youth and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is the Summer Institute, a six-credit graduate course about adolescent sexuality. In 1998, the Institute initiated an international fact-finding mission to the Netherlands, Germany, and France to explore how these European nations have achieved successful adolescent sexual health indicators. In each country, the participants conducted qualitative, critical analyses of issues which research demonstrates to have an impact on adolescent reproductive and sexual health attitudes, behaviors, and outcomes. This report shares the group’s findings and suggests a course of action toward improving adolescent reproductive and sexual health in the United States.
Georgia’s Youth: Focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health (State Facts) (available online only)
Georgia’s teen pregnancy rate is higher than the national average, and young minority women living in the state have disproportionately high birth rates. Men who have sex with men are at the highest risk for HIV in Georgia, and African American women suffer at rates vastly disproportionate to population. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are also a growing problem. Learn more about adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Georgia. Hawaii's Youth: Focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health (State Facts) (available online only)
Get the facts on the youth of Hawaii – adolescent reproductive and sexual health statistics; sex education policy; and special risks to young women, young people of color, and young GLBTQ people Illinois Youth: Focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health (State Facts) (available online only)
Get the facts on the youth of Illinois – adolescent reproductive and sexual health statistics; sex education policy; and special risks to young women, young people of color, and young GLBTQ people.
Iowa’s Youth: Focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health (State Facts) (available online only)
Get the facts on the youth of Iowa – adolescent reproductive and sexual health statistics; sex education policy; and special risks to young women, young people of color, and young GLBTQ people.
Latina Adolescent Health (Issues at a Glance) (Order publication - $2.00)
Latinos comprise the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States. In addition to the challenges all youth encounter during the transition to adulthood, social, cultural, economic, and biological factors influence the state of Latina adolescents' health. Some of these factors may place Latinas at risk, while others may assist in protecting their health. The complex interaction of these factors can also affect Latina teens' life choices, resiliency, and development. This paper examines the forces which affect Latinas’ health and provides recommendations for providers and communities in developing effective programs to promote the reproductive and sexual health of Latina adolescents. Legal Issues and School-Based and School-Linked Health Centers (Issues at a Glance) (available online only)
The legal framework under which school-based and school-linked health centers (SBHC/SLHCs) operate is an evolving set of federal, state, and local laws, which can be difficult to understand. This paper attempts to answer questions around adolescent consent to treatment; adolescent confidentiality; liability; and which regulations govern SBHC/SLHCs. Life Skills Approaches to Improving Youth's Sexual and Reproductive Health (Issues at a Glance) (available online only)
Research demonstrates that possessing life skills may be critical to young people's ability to positively adapt to and deal with the demands and challenges of life. Some programs effectively teach and promote life skills. This paper briefly reviews some of these programs and presents lessons learned from the life skills approach to HIV prevention education. These lessons are also applicable to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health programs for youth. North Carolina’s Youth: Focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health (State Facts) (available online only)
Get the facts on the youth of North Carolina – adolescent reproductive and sexual health statistics; sex education policy; and special risks to young women, young people of color, and young GLBTQ people.
Ohio’s Youth: Focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health (State Facts) (available online only)
Get the facts on the youth of Ohio – adolescent reproductive and sexual health statistics; sex education policy; and special risks to young women, young people of color, and young GLBTQ people. School-Based Health Centers (The Facts) (available online only)
School-based health centers (SBHCs) provide comprehensive medical and mental health screening and treatment for young people at their schools. This fact sheet describes the services offered by SBHCs and explains how they can serve the reproductive and sexual health needs of young people.
Serving Youth of Color (Transitions) (Order publication - see order form for pricing) (available online only)
This publication compiles information about issues faced by youth of color, including HIV-positive youth and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) youth of color. It considers how concepts of masculinity contribute to young men's sexual risk behaviors and their problems in intimate relationships. It discusses the interplay of cultural competence and social justice and how to create culturally relevant programs. It discusses barriers to health care and arts programs that promote young people's sexual health and provides links to national and online resources.
Sex Education for Physically, Emotionally, and Mentally Challenged Youth (From Research to Practice) (available online only)
This summary addresses sex education for youth who live with physical and/or mental disabilities. Beginning with a few statistics on disability among American youth and an overview of common myths and facts about the sexuality of people living with disabilities, the document also provides general guidelines for parents of physically or mentally challenged children and youth and offers a select, annotated bibliography of sex education materials and resources. Television and the Internet: Important Sources of Sexual Health Information for Youth (The Facts) (available online only)
Modern media are facts of life. Television and the Internet are central to the lives of most American children and youth. Through them, young people receive a lot of information about sexuality—some positive and accurate; some negative or incorrect. Increasingly, television professionals also provide messages that can promote youth's ability to make healthy decisions about sexuality. At the same time, high quality Web sites and Listservs can offer youth accurate information as well as links to health services near them. Texas' Youth: Focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health (State Facts) (available online only)
Get the facts on the youth of Texas – adolescent reproductive and sexual health statistics; sex education policy; and special risks to young women, young people of color, and young GLBTQ people. The Sexual and Reproductive Health of Young People in Latin America and the Caribbean (The Facts) (available online only) In this region, many young people are sexually experienced, and unprotected sexual intercourse places youth at risk of unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and infection with sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Adolescent pregnancy rates remain high in Latin America, and HIV/AIDS rates are alarming among young people in the Caribbean. Nevertheless, some reproductive and sexual health programs address the needs of youth and are showing encouraging results.
The Sexual and Reproductive Health of Youth: A Global Snapshot (The Facts) (available online only)
Worldwide, many youth have had sexual intercourse and are at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, or of involvement in unintended pregnancy. Research based reproductive health programs can provide youth with the information, support, and services they need to make responsible decisions about their sexual health.
The Sexual Health of Asian—American/Pacific Islander Young Women: Focus on Assets (From Research to Practice) (Order publication - $1.00)
Young Asian and Pacific Islander (API) women face unique challenges to good reproductive and sexual health, including barriers to good communication about sex, low rates of condom use, and a lack of culturally-specific sexual health programs and services. But cultural factors also provide them with unique assets they can draw upon to protect their well-being. This paper explores challenges and assets and provides guidelines for youth-serving professionals toward promoting good outcomes for these young women. The Sexual Health of Latina Adolescents—Focus on Assets (From Research to Practice) (Order publication - $1.00)
This document briefly highlights sexual health data on young Latinas and then summarizes the findings of asset-focused research. Its aim is: 1) to assist youth-serving professionals to identify and incorporate youth development strategies into their programming; and 2) to encourage policy makers, at all levels, to make fiscal and policy investments that will promote the sexual health of young Latinas. Teens & Sex in Europe: A Story of Rights, Respect & Responsibility (Video) (Order video - Individual: $49.95, Institutional: $79.95)
This video, narrated by Mariette Hartley, provides a fascinating glimpse into the sexual health attitudes of Dutch, German, and French teens and their parents and into the attitudes of government officials, educators, and health care providers. European and U.S. teens speak their minds about protecting themselves within sexual relationships. All of this is against a background of funny, frank media clips drawn from larger multimedia campaigns to reduce HIV infections and unintended pregnancy. West Virginia’s Youth: Focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health (State Facts) (available online only)
Get the facts on the youth of West Virginia – adolescent reproductive and sexual health statistics; sex education policy; and special risks to young women, young people of color, and young GLBTQ people. Young Women of Color and Their Risk for HIV and Other STIs (Issues at a Glance) (Order publication - $2.00)
Socioeconomic, cultural, and gender barriers limit the ability of some young women of color to receive information on sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, access culturally appropriate health care, and reduce sexual risks. The estimated prevalence of HIV and other STIs is especially high for young women of color, many of whom lack health insurance and have little or no access to health care. A lack of well-funded prevention programs specifically addressing young women of color further limits the capacity of some these young women to protect themselves against HIV infection. This paper examines these young women’s heightened risk and provides guidelines for programs to effectively address it. Youth and the State of the World (The Facts) (available online only)
Culture provides the framework for people's social behaviors, contributes to their feeling of community, and helps individuals form their identity. However, constraints arising from cultural traditions often limit young people's access to the information and services they need to make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual and reproductive lives. This fact sheet explores the various cultural issues that are of great significance to young people worldwide, including such factors as information and communication technologies, and media's influence on young people's choices. Youth and the State of Science: Health, New Technologies, Ethics and Human Rights (The Facts) (available online only)
Many factors, including gender and age inequities, sociocultural norms, educational opportunities, provider attitudes, and economic opportunities, affect each young person's ability to use reproductive and sexual health information and services. This fact sheet explores new technologies for preventing pregnancy, HIV, and STIs, and examines the issues around making these available to all youth worldwide. Youth and the State of the World (The Facts) (available online only)
In 1995, the UN General Assembly adopted the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, setting forth a global framework to address key issues related to youth and reflecting a dialogue ongoing since the 1960s. This fact sheet examines issues affecting youth worldwide a decade later and beyond, including poverty, conflict, globalization, education, employment, and HIV and AIDS. Youth of Color - At Disproportionate Risk of Negative Sexual Health Outcomes (The Facts) (Order publication - $1.00)
In the United States, rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as well as of unintended pregnancy are disproportionately high among youth of color, especially among black and Hispanic youth. Social, economic, and cultural barriers limit the ability of many youth of color to receive accurate and adequate information on preventing HIV, STIs, and unwanted pregnancy. This fact sheet describes the risks and issues young people of color face and how programs can address them. Youth Reproductive and Sexual Health in Jamaica (The Facts) (available online only)
Youth ages 10 to 24 comprise nearly one-third of Jamaica's total population of over 2.6 million.Early sexual activity, combined with a lack of relevant information, services, and skills to avoid risky situations, place Jamaican youth at risk of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, and other threats to their sexual and reproductive health. Violence (including physical and sexual abuse) and substance abuse are also a part of many young people’s lives. But effective and innovative programs and partnerships can provide youth with the sexual health information, life skills, and services that they need. Youth's Reproductive Health: Key to Achieving the Millennium Development Goals at the Country Level (Issues at a Glance) (available online only)
In 2000, the leaders of 189 countries came together at the Millennium Summit and pledged to: eliminate poverty; create a climate for sustainable development; and ensure human rights, peace, and security for the entire world's people. Eight overarching Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) measure progress towards this vision. None of the MDGs explicitly references youth's reproductive health, even though its relationship to alleviating poverty cannot be overlooked. This paper describes actions governments must take to move toward creating a healthy and economically secure populace.
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