Kounteya Sinha | TNN
New Delhi:Union health ministry has decided to address the contentious issue of sexual health of adolescents head on.
With one in every five Indians is in the age bracket of 10-19 years, the Union health ministry has conceived an “Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health ” programme, where unique “health clinics” will dish out “adolescentfriendly services.”
States have started training doctors and nurses who will man these adolescent clinics to deal with uncomfortable problems or questions on menstrual health, contraceptive use, sexual behaviour of married couple and their nutritional needs.
“We are reorganizing the existing health system to make services more adolescentfriendly. Investments in adolescent reproductive and sexual health will yield dividends in terms of delaying age at marriage, meeting unmet contraception need, besides helping India realise its demographic bonus as healthy adolescents are an important resource for the economy.
Adolescent clinics will provide preventive, curative, counselling and referral services to those in school and out of it,” ministry officials said.
Experts say over 10 states have already started making these clinics functional. By the end of 2011, they will become operational across the country.
India is home to 225 million adolescents, consisting nearly one-fifth of the nation’s total population. Of the total adolescent population, 12% belong to the 10-14 age group, and nearly 10% are in the 15-19 age bracket.
Data on adolescents from national surveys, including NFHS III, DLHS III and SRS, had thrown up some concerning results. For example, more than half of the girls in the 15-19 age group, or 56% are anaemic.
Over half (58%) of Indian women are married off before they turn 18 years.
Around 16% of girls — aged 15-19 — have already begun child bearing, and 12% have had a live birth. Only 14% of women in the 15-19 age group have received complete anti-natal care. Around 62% of married adolescents have had complications during pregnancy. More than half of the women in the 15-19 age group have delivered at home.
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