Developments in Reproductive Health Education in India

Whereas the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 have focused attention on maternal and child health the importance of adolescent health education and in particular reproductive health education is emerging. In India poor sexual health exists across all socioeconomic groups and in both rural and urban settings. Girls have little understanding of pubertal changes menstrual hygiene reproductive tract infections (RTIs) contraception and sex. The associated stigma causes mothers to avoid this discussion other than to prohibit premarital sex and teach traditional customs. In schools most teachers do not address the subject because of embarrassment and the absence of a curriculum. This allows the information that is received by girls and passed through peer networks to be incomplete out of date entangled with myths and inaccurate. Many girls marry and bear children before the end of adolescence thus allowing this misinformation to influence their health behavior and outcomes. In this editorial we present the evidence on the negative health impacts of poor reproductive health education and how improved awareness can be achieved.