Adolescent sexual and reproductive health: an evidence gap map

Adolescence (ages 10–19) is a critical time period in life during which people undergo extensive biological psychological and social changes. Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) plays an integral role during adolescence and can affect many aspects of a person’s life during and after this time. Programming that addresses this health area has the potential to greatly improve not only adolescents’ SRH but also their overall health and their ability to reach their full potential. To best invest finite resources in programming aimed at improving adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) decision-makers need to know what works and what does not particularly within a low- and middle-income country (L&MIC) context. Impact evaluations -- studies using experimental or quasi-experimental methods to measure effectiveness -- help answer these questions as do high-quality systematic reviews. The authors sought to identify the key gaps in the evidence of the impact of ASRH programming in developing country settings by creating an evidence gap map of impact evaluations and systematic reviews.