THE ISSUE:

July 11 has been designated by the United Nations as World Population Day, a day to focus on reproductive rights, health and family issues around the globe. Some major issues encompassed by World Population Day include:

• Reproductive health
• Maternal health
• HIV/AIDS
• Gender equality in health and family
• Family planning

This year, the U.N. is focusing on the rights and participation of young people in population issues as they transition to adulthood. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) states that half of the world’s population is under 25, and 3 billion people are of or approaching reproductive age. Half of those young people live in developing countries, where resources and access to information on family planning may not be as available as they are in the developed world. Although young people of both genders face difficult decisions regarding their own reproductive health, young women in the developing world are particularly vulnerable. According to UNFPA, 82 million girls in developing countries will marry before they turn 18. Twice as many women under 20 will give birth in developing countries than in the rest of the world. Since girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are more likely to die during childbirth, and mothers under 15 are five times more likely to die than a mother in her 20s, these young women need to be able to make informed decisions for their health and that of their children.There are many reasons why young people need to be involved and informed on population issues:

• Every minute, five people under the age of 25 are infected with HIV. (Source: Environmental Change and Security Project)
• Less than half of primary physicians routinely discuss sex, condoms, sexually-transmitted diseases, contraception, or sexual orientation with adolescents (Source: Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health)
• Without contraception, the average woman would bear between 12 and 15 children in her life (Source: Science Magazine)
• 17% of sexually active young people worldwide use contraceptives (Source: Planetwire)

Download the Global Population issue of Monday Developments!