Title: Girls and boys aged 15-19 years
Course: Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health - Ethiopia (Full)

Girls and boys aged 15-19 years

Many in this group will be married or in a sexual relationship (remember average age at first marriage is 16 years for Ethiopian women even though marriage under 18 years is illegal). The reproductive health risks that girls in this age range are likely to encounter include sexual harassment, rape, abduction, FGM and polygamy. They are also at risk of dropping out of school because of poor performance due to work load and lack of support.

This group of late adolescents are more likely than the early adolescents to be married and to experience unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, STI/HIV/AIDS. They may migrate to urban areas hoping for a better life but ending up as prostitutes (girls) and/or living on the streets (mostly boys but also girls).

What are key actions that you should undertake for this 15-19 years age group?

Show answer

The key actions used for adolescents aged 10-14 years also apply to this group (see Box 12.3). In addition you need to provide youth friendly services that these adolescents can access for themselves at community level and at your health post (Figure 12.6). It may also be necessary to provide parents with communication skills and to sensitise them on the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents.

You should continue to advocate for the minimisation and eradication of sexual violence and harmful traditional practices using community conversations and dialogues; create referral linkages between schools and health facilities and outreach services, organise youth (in school and out of school) RH/HIV/AIDS clubs, gender clubs, and provide contraceptives in places where young people gather.