The current generation of young people is the
largest in history and also at great risk for unintended pregnancy, maternal
death and the life-altering consequences of becoming teenage parents. Youth
themselves are speaking up to demand that family planning programs reach more
of their peers and take account of their unique needs.
Attendees of the 2013 International Conference on
Family Planning (ICFP 2013)—many of them young women and men under age 25 spoke
passionately today about the importance of providing contraceptive information
and services to youth. Organized around the theme “Full Access, Full Choice,”
ICFP is the largest-ever global meeting on family planning, and is taking stock
of progress to ensure that everyone has the tools to plan their families and
futures.
“Family
planning is holistic. It gives young people the chance to stay in school, to
finish their education, to start a business,” said Barwani Msiska, attending
ICFP as a Youth Leader from the Republic of Malawi. “We talk about Africa
rising, but we cannot achieve that great big idea if we do not invest in and
protect our adolescents.”
According to the United Nations, every day 20,000
girls younger than age 18 give birth in developing countries, representing 95%
of births to adolescent girls worldwide. Girls are at a dramatically heightened
risk for pregnancy- and childbirth-related health complications, and 70,000
girls under age 18 die annually as a result. The benefits of empowering girls
to avoid pregnancy include better health, increased economic productivity and
the full realization of their rights and potential.
The plenary presentations at ICFP 2013 today
highlighted emerging evidence of what works to reach young people with
contraceptive information and services. One of the biggest challenges is that
when adults try to engage with young people, the message often falls flat due
to generational differences. “Peer-to-peer” programs that enlist youth to be
leaders are essential.
“There is a
barrier between young people and grownups, and when adults talk about family
planning, young people often don’t say what they think. With peer-to-peer
education, youth open up a lot more to other youth,” said Maria Angelica
Botero, a Youth Leader attending ICFP from the Republic of Colombia. “What
doesn’t work is when grownups pass on their taboos. We have to talk to young
people in our language.”
Family planning programs must engage everyone in the
community. Changing attitudes among men and religious leaders is paramount,
particularly attitudes that sanction child marriage. In developing countries, 9
out of 10 adolescent girls who become pregnant are married, often to much older
men, and a quarter of adolescent pregnancies occur in girls ages 10–14.
“As a young
male who is a women’s rights advocate, I have been questioned by my peers, my
family, my community. They say that men should be in power,” said Dakshitha
Madhuka Wickremarathne, attending ICFP as a Youth Leader from the Democratic
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. “There are many political, religious and legal
barriers to women making decisions about their bodies.”
Barwani Msiska of Malawi said: “When you walk into a
church, you see someone young with a
As more efforts are launched to deliver
contraceptive information and services to young people, it is critical to
carefully monitor and evaluate their effectiveness. The best programs will need
new resources so they can be brought to scale while maintaining quality.
It is vital that young people are front and center
in making decisions about family planning programs and policy. “The biggest
problem for young people is old people. We as adult leaders have to get over
our discomfort about family planning and youth because it is about saving
lives,” said Kate Gilmore, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations
Population Fund. “As adults it is our responsibility to grow up, in order to
facilitate safe passage from childhood to adulthood for young people.”
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