Reproductive and Sexual Health among Adolescents

Dear Colleagues,

Reproductive and sexual health among adolescents is a relevant topic for society and public health. Some challenges related to reproductive and sexual health come into play when adolescents are on the verge of adulthood. First, young people generally have insufficient knowledge about the safe and healthy initiation of sexual activity, which can be associated with an elevated risk of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy, resulting in unsafe abortions. Early marriage and childbearing can result not only in increased maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality but also in negative social consequences because young mothers often have to leave school, terminating their education and reducing later employability. Second, adolescence is the period in which many hormonal changes take place in the human body. Increased activity of the reproductive endocrine system occurs alongside physical and emotional changes. In addition, stress and mental health problems seem to be associated with increased screen time, social media use, internet addiction, and other hazardous behaviours. Finally, adolescence is a crucial period for the development of gender identity, which is a multifactorial concept with psychosocial and biological factors having an impact on the potential development of gender dysphoria and disorders of sex development.

The challenges that occur in adolescence make this population vulnerable to many risks. Therefore, adolescents need education in sexual and reproductive health; however, healthcare providers are not prepared to work with young people, which often makes them feel uncomfortable. Common topics that are covered are limited to contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and family planning but the demands are much greater. Therefore, we invite authors to submit work that addresses the topic of sexual and reproductive health in adolescence to this Special Issue. Of particular interest are papers linking scientific knowledge with its practical applications and positive impact on the quality of life of young people.

Prof. Dr. Dariusz Kałka
Guest Editor

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