Transitions to Adulthood
Reproductive Health Programs for Youth Successful in Kenya
Standardized interventions rarely meet all the needs of
clients in every location. Thus, Population Council investigators have
long advocated using social science research findings to guide program
priorities. A recent evaluation of a reproductive health program for young
Kenyans provides an example of the power of this method. Program
strategies were tailored to specific geographic areas based on the results
of research in the local communities. Not only was the intervention
acceptable, but a postintervention survey found that young people living
in the project area were more likely than other young people to discuss
issues of sexuality with adults and to protect themselves against HIV
infection and unwanted pregnancy.
Transitions to Adulthood
Is Focus on Premarital Sex in Warranted?
Sexual activity and its
consequences, particularly HIV risk, have been a major focus of research
on unmarried adolescents in Vietnam. However, a recent Population Council
study suggests that other challenges may be more pressing for young people
in that country.
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