THE FACTS:
- The leading cause of death of girls and young women between 15 and 19 years old is pregnancy and childbirth. [British Medical Journals, 2004]
”70 000 adolescent mothers die each year because they have children before they are physically ready for parenthood”
- There are 60 million child brides world-wide, increasing to 100 million within ten years. [ICRW]
- Some 500,000 young people, mostly young women, are infected with a Sexually Transmitted Infection EVERY DAY! [excluding HIV]. Only 17 per cent of sexually active young people use contraceptives [UNFPA]
“Even if they want to use condoms, they may not have ready access to them, or may be unable to negotiate their use.”
www.15andcounting.org is a campaign to achieve better access to sexual and reproductive health services and education regardless of age, gender or where people live. Sign their petition at:
The petition will be presented to the United Nations to demand governments act now.
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