Promising Programmatic Approaches for Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health (AYSRH)

"Programs must actively engage girls and women, boys and men, parents and in-laws, partners and spouses, extended family, religious leaders, educators, and the community to question the cultural roles and expectations that contribute to negative outcomes for young people's sexual and reproductive health."

This online course provides an overview of promising approaches as well as case studies of effective programmes that improve young people's sexual and reproductive health in diverse contexts around the world. Offered by the Global Health eLearning (GHeL) Center, which was developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)'s Bureau of Global Health, the course is premised on the belief that successful programmes: are appropriate for adolescents' varying ages and developmental stages; consider their capacities, strengths, and developmental needs; address and challenge harmful gender norms; and reinforce positive gender roles and behaviours that decrease risk. It is intended to complement the GHeL's Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health course, which provides more information on the distinct needs that certain groups of young people, such as married adolescents, young people living with HIV, and young key affected populations, may face. (Furthermore, young people's needs vary by age and context; they may live in urban or rural environments, be in school or out of school, or live on the streets or in areas affected by humanitarian crises.)

By the end of this course, which can be completed in about 2.5 hours, the participant is expected to be able to do the following:

• Explain the principles of effective youth programming;
• Identify tailored programmatic initiatives and approaches to improve the sexual and reproductive health of young people; and
• Locate and use resources to support both the monitoring and evaluation of programs and the scale-up of successful approaches.

Concrete examples are provided in an effort to stimulate learners' thinking so that they can to solve problems and apply best practices to programming in the field setting.