Answers to Questions You are Yet to Ask Mom and Dad(E-BOOK)

The reproductive health need of adolescents is one area

that requires adequate attention. The problems of

teenage sexual activities which manifest mostly in

high rates of unwanted pregnancies, school drop-outs and

illicit abortion have further heightened because of social

change and exposure to technology such as the internet,

mobile phones etc. If not monitored, unguided adolescent

decisions will have consequential effects not only on their

well-being but also on their family, the community and on the

economic growth of the nation at large.

Young people constitute a great percentage of

population of most developing countries. In Nigeria, where

they account for about 30% of the total population, they form

a significant proportion of the country's productive force.

Thus, attention to the issues which affect them is of great

importance. Largely as a result of the consequences of early

sexual debut, many youths, especially the female, marry

early, compromising their future career options. Many remain

poor, illiterate and their social life complicated by unplanned

multiple pregnancies, hence contributing very little to the

economic development of many countries. Others who

terminate their pregnancies may have their reproductive

future compromised by a variety of reproductive morbidities.

If youths are exposed early enough to Education and

information about reproductive health/rights, significant

aspects of their behaviour and attitude can be channeled

properly. Before any adolescents even think about having

sexual relationships, it is expedient that they should have at

their fingertips issues relating to puberty, peer pressure,

STDs, HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion,

menstruation, contraceptives, VVF, family planning and many

other related social issues, as captured in Answers to

Questions You are Yet to Ask Mom and Dad. It is

important that they know beforehand the possible

consequences of their action or inaction. In line with this, Family

Life Health Education (FLHE) has now been integrated into

curricular of subjects to be taught in schools. FLHE is a planned

process of education that fosters the acquisition of factual

information, formation of positive attitudes, beliefs and values

as well as developments of skills to cope with the biological,

psychological, socio-cultural and spiritual aspects of human

living.

To achieve this lofty goal, everyone has a role to play.

The media can help by promoting messages about reproductive

health/rights. The social media/networks, which many youth

today are actively involved with, are good platforms for sharing

evidence based information. Governments can rededicate

themselves to the elimination of practices that are against

reproductive rights of individuals, such as child marriage, girl

child genital mutilation and gender-based violence. Parents

should be attuned to the gender-discriminatory messages they

transmit to their children and be available to teach and train

their children about sexuality. Opinion leaders, community

leaders, teachers and healthcare providers should understand

the reproductive health needs of adolescent and reinforce the

messages that both female and male have equal rights to

health, education, opportunity and participation in nationbuilding.

It is in light of this that I commend the efforts of the

author, B.B. Suleiman, and recommend this book to all

–especially adolescents.

Professor O.A. Ladipo,

FRCOG, OON, President, ARFH