Adolescent pregnancy in Africa: a programmatic focus.
Publication/Presentation Date
1-1-1988
Abstract
An increasing age of marriage coupled with high rates of premarital sexual activity have caused notable changes in the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies in much of the developing world. In Africa, local policy makers are beginning to perceive the medical implications of these changes as the youth component of illicit abortion, maternal mortality, and sexually transmitted disease becomes more visible. Other social issues, which include school leaving, unemployment, violence and drug abuse, are emerging among the young people of Africa as elsewhere. A successful approach to these problems will require a multi-disciplinary perspective of the adolescent with professional contributions from the arenas of health, behavior, education and sociology. This report stresses the thesis that adolescents constitute a unique sub-population whose special needs must be recognized in Africa; strong institutional facilities are required, backed by committed advocates and leadership for the youth sector. Programs initiated in Kenya and Zimbabwe serve as useful models for other African locales.
Volume
26
Issue
7
First Page
727
Last Page
735
ISSN
0277-9536
Published In/Presented At
Kulin H. E. (1988). Adolescent pregnancy in Africa: a programmatic focus. Social science & medicine (1982), 26(7), 727–735. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(88)90064-0
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Pediatrics
PubMedID
3282313
Department(s)
Department of Pediatrics
Document Type
Article