Reproductive Health and Rights Initiative

Our Mission: To provide adequate comprehensive sexuality education and integrated sexual reproductive health services to young people

Our Vision:To establish a generation of well-informed adolescent, who are equipped to make informed choices about their reproductive health

Adolescent Reproductive Health and Rights Initiative is a youth focused organization that provides adequate comprehensive sexuality education and integrated sexual reproductive health services to young people. We achieve this through multi-sectorial programs that link health to education, recreational or skills acquisition, youth club activities, school campaign, advocacy and peer health education. The aim is to leave no young person behind therefore we ensure we reach out to marginalized youths; like those who live in urban slums, rural communities and physically challenged persons providing them with resources they need to make healthy informed choices about their sexual reproductive health.

We work to equip young people with the right information and preparation because the choices and decisions adolescents make today have long term repercussions; we love to see a generation of young people who have the potential to lead positive change in the world.

Problem Statement

Adolescence (i.e. people aged 10–19 years) is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood. It includes some big changes — to the body, and to the way a young person relates to the world. Nearly one fifth (17.5%) of the world’s inhabitants are adolescents, and in the least developed nations, this group comprises an even higher proportion (23%) of the population.

Reproductive health implies that, apart from the absence of disease or infirmity, people have the ability to reproduce, to regulate their fertility and to practice and enjoy sexual relationships. It further implies that reproduction is carried to a successful outcome through infant and child survival, growth and healthy development. It finally implies that women can go safely through pregnancy and childbirth, that fertility regulation can be achieved without health hazards and that people are safe in having sex.

The environment in which young people are making decisions related to sexual and reproductive health is changing quickly. Rates of sexual initiation during young adulthood are rising or remaining unchanged in many developing countries. In 2004, 2.6 million deaths occurred among the world’s 1800 million youth between the ages of 10 and 24 years, and 97% of these deaths took place in low- and middle-income countries. Over the past 50 years, the health of adolescents has improved at a slower pace than the health of younger children. This is partly because early pregnancy carries a high risk of serious complications and also because approximately 40% of all new HIV infections occur in people between 15 and 24 years of age. Improving the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents is essential for achieving sustainable development goals 3,4 and 5.

Talking about the sexuality of young people is still very controversial in developing countries due to the prevailing culture of silence, sociocultural and religious belief that hinders young people from accessing adequate SRHR services. Also policies are not implemented by the government to cater and support adolescent reproductive health. These hindrances as led to various health risks such as HIV/AIDs epidemic, early pregnancy and childbirth, unwanted pregnancy, illegal abortion, and gender based violence etc. Adolescent sexual reproductive health needs urgent intervention for the sake of these young ones to make healthy informed choices. Despite the directives of United Nations 1994 “All countries should strive to make accessible through the primary health-care system, reproductive health to all individuals of appropriate ages as soon as possible and no later than the year 2015.” The state of reproductive health for adolescents in developing world is lagging behind.

Social Impacts

In the last 2 years, we have been able to reach out to more than 2000 youths educating them about their sexual reproductive health.
Also In the last two years during menstrual hygiene day celebration, we have provided more than 1000 free units of sanitary pads to girls.

In the last three years we have equipped 3000 young people with skills they need to make healthy life choices

Additionally, using multi-sectorial programs such as recreational activities, skills acquisition, digital training, youth club activities and peer health approach to provide adequate comprehensive sexuality education and services to marginalized youths in rural communities and urban slums.