Is India in a State of Urgency to Teach the Idea of the Population to the Teenage?
Adolescence is a phase of rapid growth and development during which you see distinctive physical, physiological and behavioural changes. They constitute more than 1.2 billion worldwide, and about 21% (about 243 million) of the Indian population. Currently, our teenage population is at the highest in India and may soon reach an incredible figure, if not managed at the right time. Contraceptive advice to the younger generation is the need of the hour.
The World Health Organization in detail describes about the leading health-related problems in the age group 10 – 19 years, which include: · Early pregnancy and childbirth · HIV · Other infectious diseases · Mental health problems including depression and suicide · Violence · Alcohol and other drugs · Injuries both unintentional and self-injury · Sexual health / Infectious diseases · Malnutrition and obesity · Exercise and Nutrition · Tobacco use · Rights of adolescents
Adolescence is a phase of life with specific health and developmental needs and rights. It is time to gain knowledge and skills, learn to manage emotions and relationships, and acquire attributes and abilities that will be important for enjoying the adolescent years and assuming adult roles.
During the early adolescent stage, girls may experience illness and suffer from various diseases. Severe illnesses can hinder their ability to grow and develop to their full potential. Alcohol or tobacco use, unprotected sex, absence of reproductive health, lack of physical activity, exposure to violence can jeopardize not only their current health but often their health for years to come.
Adolescent pregnancy
Many adolescent girls between 15 and 19 get pregnant due to the absence of sex education. About 16 million women between 15 -19 years old give birth each year, about 11% of all births worldwide. Complications caused due to pregnancy and childbirth is the second highest cause of death for 15-19 –year-old girls globally.
Population education in schools is essential to provide knowledge about population control, understanding of family planning, reproductive health and basic values. It is found that only 50% of adolescent mothers complete high school by age 18, and by 35-39 years, only 70% have a high school degree. Both boys and girls in the adolescent age should be encouraged to attain basic school education and they should be given the knowledge about the reproductive system and the contraceptive methods.
Adolescent pregnancy can cause a higher chance of deaths in newborn babies. Death can occur due to sudden infant death syndrome and congenital malformations. In most of the cases, problems may be more related to poor prenatal care, nutrition than mother’s age factor alone.
In our country, especially due to the acute shortage of communication and transparency between the adult and the child, the children are more often than not making ill-informed choices that endanger themselves with severe repercussions.
Studies on adolescent mothers have revealed that more than half of them were not using any contraception. Receipt of prenatal contraceptive counselling and receipt of a postpartum check-up are made essential due to the decreased likelihood of having sex without contraception. Prenatal contraceptive counselling was also associated with the increased use of the oral contraceptive pill. There are various misconceptions and negative beliefs like impotence after use of a condom, weakness after sterilization, fear of becoming obese after the use of oral contraceptive pills.
HIV deaths among adolescents are on a rise. Young people need to know how to protect themselves. This includes being able to obtain condoms to prevent sexual transmission of the virus and better access to HIV testing and counselling. Building life skills in children and adolescents and providing them with psychosocial support in schools and other community settings can help promote good mental health among them.
Harmful drinking and tobacco use among adolescents can be reduced by setting a minimum age for buying and consuming tobacco and alcohol and regulating how these products are targeted at the younger population.
Developing healthy eating and exercise habits at this age are foundations for good health in adulthood. Adolescents should be educated about the importance of consuming nutritious food and regular exercise to overcome the problem of malnutrition and obesity, respectively and provisions for the same should also be made.
Role of sex and reproductive health education in school, colleges and initiating of various programmes promote desirable changes. Children must be taught about the merits and
demerits of the small and large families. Parents and teachers must take the responsibilities of educating children about the consequences of an increase in population which will enable them to make a rational decision in future.
_20240903195420_original_image_47.webp)
