Kathmandu, September 18

The government’s family planning campaign will now focus more on making adolescents aged between 15 and 19 years aware of safe sex and the use of contraceptives.

The Ministry of Health and Population has even changed its theme for the campaign. Theme for the family planning campaign is ‘Ensure family planning service with participation of adolescents.’

“It is important to address the unmet demands of adolescents,” said Kabita Aryal, section chief of Family Welfare Section, adding, “Earlier, we used to focus only on controlling population but now we have realised that family planning is also the right of women and base for the development.”

Due to increasing risk of obstetric complications among adolescents, which is also a leading cause of death of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years, the government has felt the need to focus on this age group. “We have to ensure the availability of contraceptives among adolescents,” she shared.

According to Nepal Demographic Health Survey, 2016, more than 52 per cent of women in the country get married before 18 years of age, while legal age for marriage is 20 years. Thirty-five per cent women aged between 15 and 19 years have their demand for contraceptives unmet.   One in five (17 per cent) married adolescent girls aged between 15 and 19 years are already mothers or pregnant. Adolescent birth rate is 88 per 1,000 girls and women between 15 and 19 years of age.