Laws and Policies Affecting Adolescent Health

This book is about that part of life known as youth. This is taken as covering the 10-24-years age group which accounts for nearly a third of the earth's population; more than 75% of these young people live in the developing world. Although the transition between adolescence and adulthood has certain clearly defined characteristics, neither the process nor the problems lend themselves readily to generalizations; they are highly individualized, as is the effect on them of external influences. "For many adolescents and for some youth, their developmental health and social problems are closely entwined with those of their families, peer groups and local communities" (1). It is thought that one of the common desires of adolescents is to have realistic opportunities and reasonable life experiences, despite the fact that they live in vastly differing situations and an increasingly stressful world. Though heath concerns usually rank low on the list of immediate priorities of most young people, such concerns are legitimate and important, and in many instances form an integral part of general adolescent experience. The major health-related problems of adolescents are wide-ranging, and have been described by WHO as including the following (2): Socioeconomic deprivation and disadvantage; unemployment and underemployment; malnutrition; rural/urban migration; alcohol abuse and dependence; drug abuse and dependence; smoking; accidents and risk-taking behaviour; suicide; sexual and reproductive health problems; mental disorders; and mental retardation and other handicaps. The present study, which focuses on some of these health-related needs, has its roots first of all in the recommendation made some years ago by a WHO Expert Committee, in a report entitled Health need of adolescents (3), that the legal and policy aspects of adolescent health care be explored, and that legislation be used to facilitate "more and better" health services. Then, in 1979, the United Nations, in General Assembly Resolution A/34/151, designated 1985 as International Youth Year. Among the youth-oriented activities advocated in this resolution were those that would lead to the development of "comprehensive measures for intersectoral community-based health care". On a global scale, adolescent health care issues continue to be neglected, possible for two reasons - those who provide health care fail to recognize the special needs of adolescents and adolescents themselves tend not to utilize the services that are available.