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TRANSITIONS TO ADULTHOOD Early adolescence may be the calm before the storm. For many young people it is marked by relatively good health, school attendance, and stable family circumstances—the foundation of a safe transition to adulthood. But for some very young adolescents (VYAs) the years between ages 10 and 14 mark a period of vulnerability and intense transition. A young adolescent progresses from clearly being a child at age 10, through the onset of puberty, to being perceived in some societies as either a young woman ready for sexual relations, marriage, and child-bearing or a young man ready to take on the role of family breadwinner or soldier.
Young adolescents are more likely than older adolescents to be living with parents and in school. However, in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa a surprisingly high proportion of VYAs live with one or neither parent—for example, 72 percent of girls aged 10–14 in urban areas of Uganda are not living with both parents. While some of these VYAs may be residing with their extended families or in positive fostering arrangements, some are likely vulnerable to sexual exploitation, unsafe work, and substance abuse. Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 account for half of all new cases of HIV, and a significant proportion initiate sexual activity before the age of 15. Intervening during early adolescence can shape attitudes and behaviors as they are being formed, rather than during later adolescence, when behaviors already are established. Unfortunately, very young adolescents have received minimal program and policy attention—younger children may be reached by immunization or school registration initiatives, and older adolescents may be targeted for peer education or youth center activities, but VYAs tend to fall through the cracks. A recent Population Council analysis of the contacts of peer educators in Burkina Faso found that only 7 percent of 6,216 contacts were with very young adolescents. Little research has been conducted concerning the factors that contribute to the social and economic vulnerability and poor health outcomes of VYAs. Most nationally representative surveys and seroprevalence studies involve persons 15 years and older. The Population Council’s research on very young adolescents has sought to fill some of the knowledge gaps, identify subgroups of VYAs that are particularly vulnerable, and call for the field to pay greater attention to the needs of these young people.
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