Answers to Questions You are to Yet to Ask Mom and Dad

The reproductive health needs of adolescents are 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 has further heightened because of social

change and exposure to technology such as the internet,

mobile phones, etc. If not monitored, an unguided adolescent

decisions will have consequential effects not only on their

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

a significant proportion of the country's productive force.

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

importance. Largely as a result of the consequences of early

sexual debut, many youths, especially females, 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

Curriculum 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 the development 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, female 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 adolescents and reinforce the

messages that both females and males have equal rights to

health, education, opportunity, and participation in nation-building.

In light of this, I commend the author's efforts, B.B. Suleiman, and recommend this book to all

, especially adolescents.

Professor O.A. Ladipo,

FRCOG, OON, President, ARFH