Reproductive health

There are more than 2 billion adolescents in the world, more than ever in history. While growth has occurred in the United States, the most rapid increases have been in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These young people will be of reproductive age within the next decade. Their sexual and reproductive health are important not only for their own development, but also for the prosperity of their communities and future generations. Reproductive health and healthy sexual development require not only knowledge of the body and its functions, but also the ability to have successful relationships, access to health services, and freedom from sexual coercion, exploitation, and harassment.

HHD works in partnership with health agencies and schools to strengthen their capacity to address reproductive health. For example, we:

• Design strategies to connect nurses in teaching hospitals with pregnant women from poor communities
• Create assessment tools and strategies for countries worldwide to develop reproductive health policies and programs
• Design curricula and training mechanisms for teachers
• Deliver educational sessions via satellite to parents, teachers, and community leaders on how to talk to young people about reproductive health