Improving the quality of reproductive health care for young people

Abstract

Nearly 1.7 billion people, about one-third of the world’s total population, are between the ages of 10 and 24, with the vast majority living in developing countries. As they mature, young people are increasingly exposed to reproductive health (RH) risks such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended or early pregnancies, and complications from pregnancy and childbirth. Improving young people’s RH care is key to improving the world’s future economic and social well-being, but young people’s RH needs are often overlooked or viewed through a lens of cultural values that limit care. During the past decade, in part as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, young people and their health needs have been the subject of greater attention worldwide. More health policies and services are becoming “youth friendly.” Some clinics now provide services to young men or offer RH care to young women before they have had their first child. This policy brief focuses on facility-based services for young adults and uses the framework developed by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Maximizing Access and Quality Initiative to illuminate key issues about the quality of reproductive health care.