WHO guidelines on preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in developing countries aims to improve adolescent morbidity and mortality by reducing the chances of early pregnancy and its resulting poor health outcomes.
The WHO guidelines, Preventing early pregnancy and poor reproductive outcomes among adolescents in developing countries, provide both a call to action and directions for future research on:
- Preventing early pregnancy: by preventing marriage before 18 years of age; by increasing knowledge and understanding of the importance of pregnancy prevention; by increasing the use of contraception; and by preventing coerced sex;
- Preventing poor reproductive outcomes: by reducing unsafe abortions; and by increasing the use of skilled antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care.
They are primarily intended for policy-makers, planners and programme managers from governments, nongovernmental organizations and development agencies. They are also likely to be of interest to public health researchers and practitioners, professional associations and civil society organizations.
Objectives
The publication’s two main objectives are to:
- Identify effective interventions to prevent early pregnancy by influencing factors such as early marriage, coerced sex, unsafe abortion, access to contraceptives and access to maternal health services by adolescents; and
- Provide an analytical framework for policy-makers and programme managers to use when selecting evidence-based interventions that are most appropriate for the needs of their countries and contexts.
You can download this Guide for free here.
