Sexual and reproductive health status among young people in Nepal: opportunities and barriers for sexual health education and services utilization

This article attempts to summarise the situation of sexual and reproductive health among young people in Nepal. Modernisation and social transformation are occurring rapidly in Nepalese society. Growing expansion of communication and transportation networks, urbanisation and in-migration of population to urban areas is creating a different sociocultural environment, which is conducive to more social interactions between young girls and boys in Nepal. Rising age at marriage has now opened a window of opportunity for pre-marital and unsafe sexual activity among young people in Nepal which creates risks of unwanted pregnancy, STIs/HIV and AIDS. Several socio-economic, demographic and cultural factors have been identifi ed as encouraging factors for risk taking behaviours among young people. Improving access to youth friendly services, implementing peer education programmes for school and out of school going adolescents, developing effective Information, Communication and Education (IEC) materials and curricula have been highly suggested to improve the existing young people’s sexual and reproductive health status.