Sexual and reproductive health of adolescent girls
Background: Adolescents have special sexual and reproductive health needs that remain unmet, mainly due to lack of knowledge, social stigma, and laws and policies, which prevent the provision of contraception and abortion to unmarried adolescents.Bareghamyan H.H., Petrosyan M.K., Chopikyan A.S., Beglaryan G.A.
Objective: The study aims to assess adolescent girls' sexual and reproductive health status and the impact of modern information technologies on their mental health and psychosexual and psychosocial development.
Materials and methods: The study subject is a group of 10–19 years old adolescent girls (n=700) randomly selected from different regions of Armenia, including Yerevan.
Results: There is a general connection between adolescents' social media use and negative indicators of sexual and reproductive health. In Armenia 69.8% of adolescents don't have any information about contraceptives, and 55.3% of adolescents don't have any information about sexually transmitted infections. Accelerated sexual development has been registered among 21.3% of adolescents before menarche and 18.3% up to 19 years. Delayed sexual development has been documented among 15.6% of adolescents before menarche and 7.2% up to 19 years. Suppressed sexual development has been registered in 12.2% of adolescents before menarche and 5.3% up to 19 years. Early sexual debut increases the risk of sexually transmitted infections (44.7%), including Human papillomavirus (15.9%).
Conclusion: Sexual and reproductive health education and limited use of social media are keys to reducing the adverse effect of modern information technologies on adolescent girls' sexual, mental, and reproductive health. Adolescents need age-appropriate comprehensive sex education, adequate health service, and supportive environments for growth and development.
Keywords
adolescent girls
sexual and reproductive health
mental health
psychosexual development
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Received 08.12.2020
Accepted 27.07.2021
About the Authors
Hasmik H. Bareghamyan, MD, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Beglaryan MC; Lecturer of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology №1, Mkhitar Heratsi Yerevan State Medical University, +37491331298, hasmik3185@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6491-7817, 56 Abovyan str., Yerevan 0025, Armenia.Marina K. Petrosyan, MD, PhD, Senior Professor, Mkhitar Heratsi Yerevan State Medical University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology №1, +37491408114,
darbinyan.1998@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4725-6252
Armine S. Chopikyan, MD, MSc, PhD, Lecturer at the Department of Public Health and Healthcare Organization, Mkitar Heratsi Yerevan State Medical University,
arminchopikyan@gmail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7041-9091
Gagik A. Beglaryan, Dr. Med. Sci., Professor, Academician of UN Elite International Academy; Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology №1, Mkhitar Heratsi Yerevan State Medical University; Director of Beglaryan MC, Yerevan, Armenia, hasmik3185@yandex.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4682-3793
Corresponding author: Hasmik H. Bareghamyan, hasmik3185@gmail.com
Authors' contributions: Bareghamyan H.H. – concept and design of the study; Bareghamyan H.H., Petrosyan M.K. – data collection and analysis; Bareghamyan H.H., Chopikyan A.S. – statistical analysis; Bareghamyan H.H. – manuscript preparation; Beglaryan G.A. – manuscript editing.
Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Funding: This study was conducted with the financial support of the Ministry of Education and the State Committee for Science of the Republic of Armenia within the framework of research project No. 19YR-3B063.
Gratitude: The authors express their gratitude to all the participants, as well as to the administrative and medical staff of Yerevan medical centers who participated in the study.
Patient Consent for Publication: Mothers of patients provided informed consent for the publication of data.
Authors' Data Sharing Statement: The data supporting the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author after approval from the principal investigator.
For citation: Bareghamyan H.H., Petrosyan M.K., Chopikyan A.S., Beglaryan G.A. Sexual and reproductive health of adolescent girls.
Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2021; 9: 164-173 (in Russian)
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2021.9.164-173
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