We Must Not Overlook Adolescent Health
As the Medical Officer of Health for Lagos’s Agege Local Government, Dr. Akintayo is tasked with paving critical pathways for young people to access sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. In a culture flooded with entrenched taboos surrounding contraception and with a health system that does not always have clear avenues for adolescents to access SRH information and services, Dr. Akintayo knows that finding new, innovative approaches to serve his district’s youth remains imperative.
The girl-defined spaces breaking down taboos
Across Nigeria, girls navigate a complex web of socio-cultural barriers that limit their access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services. Taboos around contraception remain rampant, and girls often lack trusted sources and spaces to turn to for questions about their health and changing bodies.
Changing Ethiopia, One Couple at a Time
Thanks to Smart Start, Kamali and Daniel along with many couples across Ethiopia have learned the importance of saving and having resources before having children.
They Carry This Weight Together
Newlywed girls in her rural Ethiopian village often face pressure to prove their fertility quickly. But thanks to a new program Smart Start, the couple now understands the financial pressure adding a baby to their fledgling family would have.
Piloting Health System Integration in Northern Ethiopia
In Northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region, government health professionals have increasingly incorporated Smart Start into their outreach – using the financial planning module to meet the reproductive health needs of last-mile married girls aged 15-19 too often left behind in the district’s over-crowded health system.
Designing a Reality Powered by Youth
By Emma Beck, Associate Communications Manager, Adolescents 360 Ayana has a dream for his 25-year-old sister. Ayana is one of more than 280 young designers for A360, an adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health project that works with and for young people. It’s a dream for the same sister who teasingly calls him “competitive.” […]
Her Implant Transformed Their Life: A Husband’s Tale
Yakaubu* and his 19-year-old wife were expecting, again. Contraception gives Yakaubu peace of mind knowing he and his wife can plan for the family—and future they desire. *Face blurred and name changed to protect privacy. Neither, however, had the financial means to raise another child. Ending the pregnancy, they’d decided, was the right way forward. […]
Breaking the Gossip Cycle: Adolescents 360 Helps Teens Find Safe Place To Talk Sex
The need to reimagine reproductive health care for teens in Tanzania is urgent. 45% of the population is under the age of 15 and 44% of girls become pregnant by age 19. PSI’s Adolescent 360 program meets teens where they are — outside of clinics — and with language and activities that make sense for them.