 No longer a child but not yet an adult

 Age Groups
◦ WHO Defines-
 Adolescents- 10-19 years
 Youth - 15 – 24 Years
 Young People – 10 – 24 Years
A phase which involves -
Progression from appearance of secondary sexual
characteristics (puberty) to sexual and
reproductive maturity
Development of adult mental process and identity
Transition from total social-economic
dependence to relative independence
 Early (10 – 14))
◦ Growth Spurt, Beginning of Sexual Maturity and
Start to think abstractly.
 Middle (14 – 15)
◦ Main Physical Change Completed, Develop
stronger sense of Identity, relates strongly to
peer group, Thinking becomes reflective.
 Late (16 – 19)
◦ Body takes adult form, has distinct identity and
more settled ideas and opinions.
•Population
•Education
•Employment
•Poverty
•They are a demographic force.
•They are an economic force.
•They are the future health.
•They have a right to participate.
•Young Adolescents
•Malnutrition
•General Health Problems
•Menstrual Problems
•Mental Health Problems
•Early and Unprotected Sex
•Addictive Behaviors
•Accidents and violence
•Sexual Abuse
•Depression and Suicide
•Eating Disorders.
 Young Adolescents
◦ Can not bear the responsibility of their
own health
◦ Lack knowledge about the physical
changes happening in body
◦ Such concerns – low self esteem and
depression
◦ Need reassurance and Support
 Malnutrition
◦ Shortage of food – priority for babies –
inadequate adolescent diet – delayed/impaired
development.
◦ Girls – fed last and fed least – pubertal delay –
small pelvis.
◦ Baby mothers – less equipped to withstand
complications (physically immature body)
◦ MMR higher in anemic adolescent mothers
◦ Undernourished Adolescent Mother – LBW Babies
 General Health Problems
◦ Same illnesses but
 Less likely to recognize symptoms
 More likely to underestimate their importance
◦ Least likely section to go for early treatment
 afraid about outcome,
 worried about stigma, and
 do not have confidence on treatment.
◦ Parents actively take care of health of young
children
 Parents feel adolescents responsible for their heath needs
– as they become more independent
 Conditions like Asthma and Epilepsy become uncontrolled
– as considered responsible for self medication.
 Menstrual Problems
◦ Without proper knowledge – fail to understand
normal and to recognize menstrual problems
◦ School Health Checkups usually fail to identify
these
 Mental Health Problems
◦ May first become apparent in Adolescence
◦ No frame of reference available with them
◦ Thus fail to
 Recognize and
 Seek medical treatment
 Early and Unprotected Sex
◦ Sexual activity is more common than available
official data – evidenced by increased no. of-
 Unwanted Pregnancies
 Unsafe Abortions
 Steep Rise in HIV
◦ Early and unprotected sexual experience is not
planned, and with no knowledge of consequences
 Predisposing Factors for Early and
Unprotected Sex
◦ Adolescents live in Increasingly sexualized
societies
◦ Impact of Media – Electronic and Print
◦ Rapid Growth of cities and breakdown of
traditional family structure – Erode protective
cultural layer
◦ Conflict and forced migration – put them at risk
◦ Pressured in to desperate situations – forced into
sex for survival sp. during economic hardships
etc.
◦ Trend – earlier sexual maturation while late
marriage
 Early and Unprotected Sex – Results In
◦ STI 1 in 20 young people every year
◦ 7000 young people every day are infected with
HIV

 Early and Unprotected Sex – Remedy

◦ Abstaining from Sex
◦ Delaying the onset of first sexual experience
◦ Increasing the level of protection through
condoms
 Addictive Behavior (Risk Taking)
◦ Do not assess the long term consequences
◦ Alcohol and drugs – further reduce caution and
judgment
◦ May appear to be a way out for one who sees no
positive solution – but actually is a way to more
serious problems
◦ Expensive and illegal habits – draws them to crime
 Accident and Violence
◦ Deaths and Injuries are more common in them
◦ Unintentional Injuries is the leading cause of Death
in many countries
◦ Vulnerable both as victims and perpetrators
◦ Violence with in home is usually not treated
seriously.
 Depression and suicide
◦ Common with Low self esteem
◦ They feel they have no future and are useless
◦ Reduces the quality of life
◦ Likely to take risk with own health
◦ Depression can lead to suicide
◦ 90,000 young people commit suicide every year.
 Eating Disorder
◦ Obesity and eating disorders exist along with
malnutrition
◦ From early age adolescents are under pressure to
be ultra thin – impact of media
◦ Bulimia and anorexia can permanently damage
physical and mental health.
◦ Obesity – if failed to deal in time may lead to
serious health problems.
 To reduce death and disease in adolescents
 To reduce the burden of disease in later life
 To invest in health — today and tomorrow
 To deliver on human rights
 To protect human capital
 Adolescents represent a positive force in society,
now and for the future.
 They face dangers more complex than previous
generations faced, and often with less support.
 The development needs of adolescents are a
matter for the whole of civil society.
 Health services play a specific role in preventing
health problems and responding to them.
 Many changes are needed in order for health
services to become adolescent friendly.