CONTENTS
Chapters
- Growing Numbers, Diverse Needs
- Growth, Change, and Risk
- Programs for Young Adults
- Evaluation Findings
- Winning Support from the Community and
Young Adults
HIGHLIGHTS
Included with this issue:
Population Reports is published by the Population
Information Program, Center for Communication Programs, The
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 111 Market Place, Suite 310, Baltimore, Maryland
21202-4012, USA
Volume XXIII, Number 3
October, 1995 |
Growth, Change, and Risk
As a group, young people are among the healthiest members of their communities.
Having survived infancy and early childhood diseases, they have the lowest
mortality rates of any age group in both developed and developing countries
(185, 540). The risks related to sexual activity
and childbearing are among the most serious health risks that young people
face. They can jeopardize not only physical health but also long-term emotional,
economic, and social well-being. The reproductive health risks that young
people face include:
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including infection with human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which results in AIDS;
- Sexual violence and coercion, including rape, sexual abuse, and
selling sex;
- Too-early pregnancy and childbearing, with elevated risks of injury,
illness, and death for both mother and infant; and
- Unintended pregnancy, often leading to unsafe abortion and its
complications.
Furthermore, young people who become parents too soon, especially
girls, face the social and economic consequences of lost education and
lowered earnings. |
