Adolescent sexual and reproductive health in Dhaka's slums, Bangladesh

Adolescents around the world face tremendous challenges to meeting their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs. Inadequate access to health information and services, as well as inequitable gender norms, contribute to a lack of awareness about puberty, sexuality, and basic human rights that can have serious implications on their health and welfare throughout the rest of their lives. These underlying factors lead to high rates of early pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexual violence, and early and forced marriage globally. Research has found that adolescence is a profound and complex stage of life that influences future health outcomes, attitudes, and behaviors. Using a life course-perspective requires understanding the relationships between early childhood health and development and its effect on adolescence; the importance of biological changes, cultural traditions, and social norms associated with puberty; as well as the influence that social determinants have on adolescents’ up-take of health-related behaviors. To improve and promote adolescent health, development and well-being, it is also important to acknowledge the broader policies and environment in which they live, learn, work, and form relationships (Sawyer 2012).