ADOLESCENT HEALTH - A MIDDLE-EAST AND NORTH-AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GYNECOLOGY & OBSTETRICS, vol.51, no.2, pp.151-157, 1995 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 51 Issue: 2
- Publication Date: 1995
- Doi Number: 10.1016/0020-7292(95)02513-c
- Journal Name: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GYNECOLOGY & OBSTETRICS
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Page Numbers: pp.151-157
- Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of physical, psychological and social transition from childhood to adulthood. At present there are 95 million young people aged between 10 and 24 years in the Middle East and North Africa. Female education is increasing in these regions, but secondary school enrollment rates for girls lag behind those of their male counterparts. Average age at first marriage varies between 17.9 and 24.3 years, but teenage marriage is quite common. Total fertility rates are higher than the world average. Pregnancy at an early age often translates into a high fertility rate and high risks for women and their children. Female children's share of food, health care, work options and general care is often less than that of boys, because they are perceived to be less valuable than boys in some countries.