Global Perspectives on the Sociocultural, Economic, and Political Contexts Shaping Adolescent Sexual Behaviors: Introduction to a Special Issue

Excerpt

Adolescence is one of the most crucial developmental periods and is characterized by complex physical, emotional, and cognitive changes. During this period, sexual development is pronounced. Youth may experience several challenges such as early sexual debut, inadequate access to contraceptives, increased risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, unintended pregnancies, and early parenthood. Current trends indicate significant improvements in adolescent sexual and reproductive health within the last two decades and outline areas that have emerged or persisted as challenges (United Nations, 2019). Annual data on sexual and reproductive health showed that of the 35 nations that have completed annual tracking, 29 had a decline in early sexual debut among adolescent girls (Liang et al., 2019; STAT Compiler, 2019). However, a decline in early sexual debut was not shared equally as there was no decrease in early sexual debut within Latin American and Caribbean nations. While child marriage—another key indicator—has declined in many nations over the last two decades, there remains little change in Sub-Saharan Africa (Liang et al., 2019). Of note, child marriage among those aged 10–14 accounted for the primary context in which youth engaged in early sexual debut in Sub-Saharan Africa (Liang et al., 2019). Overall, while there have been considerable declines in child marriage in North Africa and Asian countries, much like in Sub-Saharan Africa, these declines are not seen in Latin American or Caribbean nations (United Nations, 2019). …