Abstract

DEL CASTILLO MATAMOROS, Sara E. et al. Implementation of public policy on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in the Colombian Coffee Axis: The case of adolescent pregnancy. Rev.latinoam.cienc.soc.niñez juv [online]. 2008, vol.6, n.1, pp.217-255. ISSN 1692-715X.

The national public policy on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) for Colombia, defined in 2002 by the Ministry of Social Protection for the years 2002-2006, lists the following priority topics in this field: safe maternity, family planning, sexual and reproductive health for adolescents, cervical cancer, sexually-reproductively transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, and domestic and sexual violence. The research project reported in this paper focused on quantitative and qualitative analysis of the process of implementing the public policy on sexual and reproductive health for adolescents in the three provinces (Departments or States) that configure the so-called "Colombian Coffee Axis", and in their capitals. The results of the study show that, even though between 2003 and 2005 there is a measurable reduction of births in adolescents (10-19 years of age) in this region, it was not possible to identify strategies or actions that could explain the reduction. The mentioned public policy has helped make visible and legitimate many specific actions oriented to the adolescent population in these matters. Nevertheless, important variations in the methodologies of data collection and systematization regarding sexual and reproductive health for adolescents were observed across institutions, as well as absence of usable quantitative feed-back for the actors of this public policy. As a conclusion, the paper draws some suggestions for the adjustment of this SRH policy.

Keywords : Adolescents; youths; sexual and reproductive health; health policy; adolescent pregnancy; Coffee Axis; Colombia.

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