Policies And Programs For Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health
Overview
The goal of this work is to replicate the model of sexual and reproductive health initiatives that address the vulnerabilities of marginalized young women.
The Challenge
Young women from poor and excluded communities face the highest risk of sexual violence and disease. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, one in three teenage girls has HIV and over the past two years the number of HIV-positive women and girls has increased in every region of the world. The World Health Organization estimates that worldwide one in three women will be beaten or coerced into sex in her lifetime.
In many parts of the world, gender inequality and poverty close off many life options for girls. Around the world, sexual and reproductive health programs often ignore the social, cultural and economic factors that prevent young people from making healthy decisions and that contribute to their vulnerability to poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes, exposure to HIV, sexual violence and undesired or unsafe pregnancy.
What We're Doing
We support efforts to bring to scale promising initiatives that:
- Address gender and economic inequalities
- Challenge social stigmas that prevent services from meeting the needs of youth
- Apply an integrated approach to HIV/AIDS and sexual and reproductive health
Learn more about how our strategies and approaches shape our grant making.
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