ARSH 6: Reproductive Health Needs Assessment of Adolescents and Young People (15–24 y): A Qualitative Study on ‘Perceptions of Program Managers and Health Providers’

In total 34 in-depth interviews were conducted. Nearly half (2+) of the program managers and service providers of adolescent programs opined that the important problems faced by adolescents were issues related to sexuality, psychosocial conflict, identity crisis, adjustment problems and scholastic problems. Approximately half of them thought that improper parenting, negative attitude of parents, separated parents, ignorance of parents, family background, nuclear family setup etc. are the most important factors, which influence adolescent problems and that friends and media are their major source of reproductive sexual health information. Nearly half of them pointed out that pain and psychological disturbances like anxiety, tension and anger were the important menstrual problems faced by adolescents. Again nearly half of them, felt that FLE (Family Life Education) should be given at school and ARSH services at PHCs, but there was little consensus on provision of contraceptive service and abortion services to adolescents.