A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Female Adolescents' Reproductive Health and Well-being in the Modern World

<p>Adolescence is a phase of life where transformation from</p><p>childhood to adulthood takes place. Puberty as the marker of this</p><p>phase presents a significant opportunity to lay a foundation for</p><p>reproductive health of young people. Pubertal development affects</p><p>female adolescents differently to their male counterparts. Within</p><p>this period the young female will experience significant changes in</p><p>her body and will start her reproductive journey. It is essential that</p><p>young females are prepared to ensure a smooth transition and a</p><p>positive puberty experience. However little is known about young</p><p>females' knowledge of reproductive health during puberty or their</p><p>sources of information about reproductive health during this critical</p><p>time. Globally research focuses on adolescents aged 15 years and</p><p>above and there is limited data on early adolescents specifically</p><p>young female adolescents age 12 to 15 years. Studies conducted with</p><p>Indonesian adolescents tend to focus on sexual behaviour as a poor</p><p>reproductive health outcome and fail to consider the importance of</p><p>exploring adolescents' knowledge of reproductive health during</p><p>puberty. This PhD study was designed to address these gaps in the</p><p>literature by providing an exploration into young females' knowledge</p><p>of reproductive health and the sources of information regarding</p><p>reproductive health during puberty.</p>