Adolescents are likely to face a range of health and social challenges.

For
instance, initiation of sexual activity while they lack adequate knowledge and
skills for protection places adolescents at a higher risk of unwanted pregnancy,
unsafe abortion and sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS. High
prevalence of early marriage and childbearing in some of the Member States, is
associated with higher maternal mortality and morbidity as well as neonatal and
infant mortality in adolescents.
• Furthermore, pregnancy during adolescence is associated with higher risk of health
problems like anemia, sexually transmitted infections, unsafe abortion, postpartum
hemorrhage, and mental disorders (like depression). Pregnant adolescents also bear
negative social consequences and often have to leave school reducing their
employability leading to long-term economic implications. Unmet needs for family
planning especially for spacing are high among adolescents.
WHO promotes Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health to meeet these challenges
and provides technical support to Member States in strengthening and improving
health care system for providing Adolescent Friedly Health Services.
For many adolescents who need sexual and reproductive health services, such as
appropriate information, contraception and treatment for sexually transmitted
infections, these are either not available or are provided in a way that makes
adolescents feel unwelcome and embarrassed. Health services have to be sensitive to
the needs and developmental attributes of adolescents to be able to attract them. WHO
promotes Adolescent Friendly Health Services to address these issues and make it
easier for adolescents to obtain the required services.