Why is sex and reproductive education important for adolescents?

 Why is sex and reproductive education important for adolescents?

Many adolescents are afraid of where to go, how to get services, whether there will be confidentiality, and whether their families will find out

Why is sex and reproductive education important for adolescents?

16-year-old Sandhya Rai had consensual sex and was forced to have an unsafe abortion after becoming pregnant.

Unwanted pregnancies and health problems are increasing due to lack of access to sex education and reproductive health services for adolescents in Nepal.

16-year-old ‘Sandhya Rai’ (name changed) was a 10th grader. She fell in love with a young man in grade 11 at the same school she attended. Both dreamed of getting married after completing their studies.

One day, they went to Nagarkot to celebrate the young man’s birthday and stayed there. They had consensual sex.

A few months later, Sandhya realized that her menstruation had stopped. After she told her mother, a test was done at the hospital. She was confirmed to be pregnant. Legal complications arose when she was past 12 weeks. She was then forced to have an unsafe abortion. The consequences of this led to long-term health problems.

Sandhya's story is not just the story of one person, but a representative example of the reality that many adolescents in Nepal face when they do not have access to accurate information, counseling, and health services.

This has complicated the debate on sexual education and reproductive health rights for adolescents in Nepal.

Adolescents at risk

Due to the lack of accurate knowledge and services, adolescents are forced to face unsafe sex, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, rape, blackmail, and mental stress. There have been cases where such problems have led to dropping out of school.

In Sandhya's case, if she had had timely pregnancy testing, counseling, and access to safe health services, she would not have had to undergo an unsafe abortion.

Advocate Roshana Pradhan says, “When society remains silent, the risks begin to speak.” She says that when families, schools, and communities do not communicate openly, adolescents are forced to make decisions alone.

In Nepal, there are countless examples of legal complications even when adolescents under the age of 18 have consensual relationships. Rights activists say that viewing non-exploitative relationships between adolescents of the same age group from a criminal perspective automatically creates many complications.

This has legal provisions that make adolescents, in particular, afraid to seek health care, get pregnancy tests, seek counseling, or even file a complaint in case of violence. Advocate Pradhan says that laws should be made by distinguishing between actual exploitation and consensual relationships.

School-going adolescents get some information from teachers, textbooks, or school programs. However, adolescents who are out of school are deprived of such opportunities. As a result, they are deprived of correct knowledge and services related to sexual and reproductive health.

Many adolescents are forced to drop out of school due to economic problems, child labor, child marriage, family responsibilities, migration, or remote areas. Adolescents are particularly affected by domestic work or early marriage.

Lack of information on body changes after being out of school, menstrual health, safe sex, contraceptives, and ways to avoid sexual violence can lead them to rely on the wrong sources. This increases the risk of unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, exploitation, and violence.

Street children, orphans, children without parents, children from immigrant families, adolescents with disabilities, and adolescents from gender and sexual minorities are at even greater risk. Even when these adolescents seek health services, they often shy away due to fear of privacy, lack of funds, or uncomfortable behavior.

Therefore, community-level programs, youth clubs, health posts, mobile camps, radio, digital media, and local-level targeted campaigns are necessary to reach out to adolescents who are out of school. Even though adolescents are out of school, their rights and needs are not outside.

What to do now?

According to advocate Roshana Pradhan, comprehensive sexuality education is not just about teaching reproductive organs or biology. It is about informing adolescents about their bodies, emotional development, relationships, rights, and responsibilities. It is also about providing age-appropriate, scientific, inclusive, and practical knowledge about safe behavior.

It covers topics such as changes in the body, menstruation, hygiene, consent, privacy, gender equality, protection from sexual violence, safe sexual behavior, family planning, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, unwanted pregnancy, mental health, self-esteem, life skills, and decision-making ability.

“Adolescence is a time of great change in the body, emotions, and social relationships,” says Pradhan. “If the right information is not provided at such a time, there is a risk that they will quench their curiosity through the wrong sources.”

According to advocate Pradhan, such education should start from childhood, according to age. At a young age, body safety, good and bad touch, hygiene and self-esteem should be taught, and in adolescence, relationships, consent, contraceptives, rights and responsibilities should be taught in detail. Comprehensive sexuality education should be made mandatory in grades 9 and 10.

Advocate Pradhan says that teachers should be trained to teach in a sensitive and scientific manner. ‘The program should be expanded to teenagers outside of school and confidential, 

Respectful and adolescent-friendly health services should be provided.

Pradhan suggests that families should also be made dialogue-friendly and legal provisions should be reviewed in accordance with the best interests of adolescents.

Providing knowledge about sexual and reproductive health to adolescents is not a ‘matter of shame’, but a necessity linked to life, health, rights and a secure future. Hiding information does not eliminate curiosity, but rather increases risk.

The need for sex education

According to advocate Roshana Pradhan, comprehensive sexuality education is not just about teaching reproductive organs or biology. It is the process of providing adolescents with age-appropriate, scientific, inclusive and practical education about their bodies, emotional development, relationships, rights, responsibilities and safe behavior.

It covers topics such as changes in the body, menstruation, hygiene, consent, privacy, gender equality, protection from sexual violence, safe sex, family planning, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, unwanted pregnancy, mental health, self-esteem, life skills and decision-making skills.

Pradhan says, “Adolescence is a time of great change in the body, emotions, and social relationships. If accurate information is not provided at such a time, curiosity is satisfied from the wrong sources—friends, rumors, or uncontrolled Internet content, which increases the risk.”

According to her, such education should start from childhood, according to age. Body safety, good and bad touch, cleanliness, and self-esteem should be taught at a young age, and relationships, consent, contraceptives, rights, and responsibilities should be taught in detail during adolescence.

Why is Nepal’s curriculum incomplete?

In Nepal, sexual and reproductive health-related content is covered to some extent through health and physical education subjects from grades 4 to 8. However, since this subject is optional or limited in grades 9 and 10, many students do not receive complete information.

According to advocate Navin Shrestha, this age is the most sensitive and curious time. “Adolescents studying in grades 9 and 10 undergo rapid physical and emotional changes,” says Shrestha. “Curiosity about sexuality is also high at this age. But the fact that essential education is not mandatory at such a crucial stage is a serious weakness.’

Shrestha says that despite the subject matter, in practice, teachers are hesitant to teach sensitive topics openly. ‘There is still an environment where students feel shy and teachers feel uncomfortable when discussing topics like condoms, contraception, sexual violence, and gender diversity,’ he says. ‘As a result, the curriculum is limited to paper.’

There is a law, no access

Article 38(2) of the Constitution of Nepal has ensured women’s reproductive health rights as a fundamental right. The Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act, 2075 BS, has also made provisions for adolescent-friendly services. Related guidelines have also been issued.

Advocate Shrestha says that legal provisions alone are not enough. ‘Even though services are available, many adolescents are afraid of where to go, how to get services, whether there will be confidentiality, and whether their families will find out,’ he says.

Many health institutions do not have family planning materials, pregnancy test kits, counseling services, and an adolescent-friendly environment. Access is even weaker for adolescents in rural areas and out of school.

Concerns from the international community

In Nepal’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) under the United Nations Human Rights Council, various member states have recommended that Nepal further strengthen the rights of adolescents.

They have urged Nepal to ensure access to comprehensive sexuality education for all adolescents, expand sexual and reproductive health services, and review legal barriers.

Iceland said that all adolescents, both in and out of school, should have access to comprehensive sexuality education. Norway emphasized access to age-appropriate, equitable health services, information, and safe abortion for all, including adolescents and sexual and gender minorities. Uruguay recommended expanding sexual and reproductive health services with multisectoral coordination to prevent adolescent pregnancy and child marriage.

Mexico has recommended reconsidering a law that automatically criminalizes consensual relationships between teenagers of the same age. Human rights activists say criminalizing non-exploitative and consensual relationships between teenagers of similar ages does not prevent such relationships, but rather makes them afraid to seek health care, counseling, and legal help.