J Adolesc Health. 2025 May;76(5):954-960. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.02.008. Epub 2025 Apr 2.
Sexual and reproductive health is a fundamental human right for all people, including adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) encompasses the right to comprehensive, medically accurate, and evidence-based sexual health information and healthcare services, as well as the ability to understand and exercise these rights. SRHR are essential to AYA's emotional, cognitive, and psychosocial development, physical and mental health, gender equality, and wider economic and social development. Access to sexual and reproductive health information and healthcare, inclusive of sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual behavior, and reproduction, is critical to achieving healthy sexual development. A strong body of research demonstrates that access to comprehensive, confidential sexual and reproductive health education and healthcare services, as well as family and community supports, improves a range of outcomes for AYAs. These favorable outcomes include delays in the age of sexual debut, reductions in sexual activity rates and the number of sexual partners, and increases in contraception and condom use. While there have been significant advancements in SRHR across the globe, AYAs continue to experience disproportionately higher rates of sexually transmitted infections, human immunodeficiency virus, unintended pregnancy, reproductive coercion, and sexual exploitation, as well as violence based on sex assigned at birth, sexual orientation, and gender identity. These disparities contribute to morbidity, mortality, and health inequities. Accordingly, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine adopts the following positions: (1) comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and healthcare are fundamental human rights for all AYAs; (2) all AYAs should have universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and healthcare; (3) all AYA-serving clinicians should have requisite knowledge and skills to provide sexual and reproductive health information and healthcare, and nonclinical AYA professionals should be an SRHR resource and provide referrals; and (4) increased investments in AYA-related sexual and reproductive health education, services, research, and advocacy, with meaningful stakeholder engagement, are needed to actualize SRHR for AYAs. Further, AYAs should have a voice in SRHR interventions and policies that affect their lives to ensure these efforts are relevant and meet their needs. Opportunities to advance the SRHR of AYAs exist at each level of the socioecological system.
性与生殖健康是所有人的一项基本人权，包括青少年和青年（AYA）。性与生殖健康及权利（SRHR）涵盖获得全面、医学准确且基于证据的性健康信息和医疗保健服务的权利，以及理解和行使这些权利的能力。性与生殖健康及权利对于青少年和青年的情感、认知和心理社会发展、身心健康、性别平等以及更广泛的经济和社会发展至关重要。获得性与生殖健康信息及医疗保健，包括性取向、性别认同、性行为和生殖方面的信息及保健，对于实现健康的性发育至关重要。大量研究表明，获得全面、保密的性与生殖健康教育及医疗保健服务，以及家庭和社区支持，可改善青少年和青年的一系列结果。这些良好结果包括推迟首次性行为年龄、降低性活动率和性伴侣数量，以及增加避孕措施和避孕套的使用。虽然全球在性与生殖健康及权利方面取得了重大进展，但青少年和青年仍然不成比例地面临更高的性传播感染、人类免疫缺陷病毒、意外怀孕、生殖胁迫和性剥削率，以及基于出生时指定的性别、性取向和性别认同的暴力。这些差异导致发病率、死亡率和健康不平等。因此，青少年健康与医学协会采取以下立场：（1）全面的性与生殖健康信息和医疗保健是所有青少年和青年的基本人权；（2）所有青少年和青年都应普遍获得全面的性与生殖健康信息和医疗保健；（3）所有为青少年和青年服务的临床医生都应具备提供性与生殖健康信息和医疗保健的必要知识和技能，非临床的青少年和青年专业人员应成为性与生殖健康及权利资源并提供转诊服务；（4）需要增加对与青少年和青年相关的性与生殖健康教育、服务、研究和宣传的投资，并让利益相关者有意义地参与，以实现青少年和青年的性与生殖健康及权利。此外，青少年和青年应在影响其生活的性与生殖健康及权利干预措施和政策中拥有发言权，以确保这些努力具有相关性并满足他们的需求。在社会生态系统的每个层面都存在推进青少年和青年性与生殖健康及权利的机会。
