Forward, Together: A Collaborative Path to Comprehensive Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Our Time

The inclusion of sexual and reproductive health services within universal health care through intentional design

“…While evidence of how to deliver CSE and demonstrate its effectiveness is increasing, it is less clear whether it will be covered under UHC. 22 We acknowledge that the full gamut of SRH services do not receive the same emphasis in UHC schemes; for example, it has been noted that maternal health and family planning have received greater emphasis than other SRH areas such as safe abortion and sexual and gender-based violence. 23 It is possible to rationalise the emphasis on family planning in that it can obviate some of the need for safe abortion services by preventing pregnancies.…”

“…24 Women also select providers based on OOP cost; clients may choose a private provider for short-term methods that are more affordable but seek more expensive methods such as LARC from public providers, where the service may be free or nearly free for the consumer. 13 Considering that adolescents are a special population, advocates have provided practical guidance on how adolescents' SRHR needs can be met within UHC 22 and in particular, suggestions for including other points of care that adolescents might prefer, such as pharmacies, in strategic purchasing schemes. We also know that due to the advancements in R&D and availability of health technologies, self-care in many areas of SRH is an emerging and feasible possibility.…”

Adolescents' Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: What Has Been Achieved in the 25 Years Since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development and What Remains to Be Done?

“…In their paper, they build on the Guttmacher-Lancet Commission for SRHR report [9] to outline specific recommendations to mainstream adolescent-responsive interventions at the legal, policy, systems, and community levels. In the fourth paper, Plesons et al [10] highlight key challenges that impede adolescent-responsive actions at country level and some of the emerging opportunities that countries can leverage to overcome these challenges. They then outline five strategic actions that need to be taken to achieve progress: use political, governmental, and social support to strengthen adolescent SRHR programs; use available resources effectively and demonstrate impact; ensure that enabling laws and policies are widely communicated and applied; use available data and evidence to inform policies and programs; and manage implementation at scale with quality and equity.…”

Improving Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Reflections on the Past 25 Years

“…The second paper, by Chandra-Mouli et al [4], builds on the first and provides a review of policy and programmatic responses over the last 25 years by focusing on six areas of ASRHR: pregnancy, HIV, child marriage, violence against women and girls, female genital mutilation, and menstruation. The final two papers, by Engel et al and Plesons et al, offer guidance for how we might capitalize on the progress that we have made over the past 25 years [5,6].…”

“…Plesons et al [6] further raises the bar and outlines the challenges that hinder adolescent-responsive actions at the country level, identifying some of the opportunities that countries may leverage to overcome these challenges. These challenges include persistent denial of adolescent sexuality; entrenched gender inequality; resistance to meaningful engagement of young people in political and programmatic processes; weak systems, integration, and multisectoral coordination; changes in population dynamics; humanitarian and climate crises; and changes in family and community structures.…”