Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV amongst Indigenous Youth in 5 Countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region

Despite the progress made over the past 20 years in improving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the epidemiological data for young people remain worrisome in many countries, and access to SRH is still limited and full of obstacles. Young people are having their sexual debut at an early age; one fifth of sexually active female adolescents report using contraception and a high percentage report unmet need for family planning; one in twenty young people are affected by Sexually Transmitted Infections every year; 18% of all births and 15% of all unsafe abortions that take place in LAC occur amongst adolescents 15-19 years old. This situation disproportionately affects indigenous young people as the majority of them live in poor, rural areas—hindering them from accessing health systems and services and keeping them invisible and excluded in national policies. To respond to these needs, a study was developed on the SRH of indigenous young people in five countries in LAC in 2010, with the ultimate goal of improving intervention strategies and restructure current adolescent health programs. This study is a qualitative-quantitative study that includes statistics from the most recent Censuses, other surveys and interviews with indigenous young people from five countries in LAC. The results indicate that indigenous young people initiate sexual intercourse very early and face significant cultural and gender inequalities; indigenous adolescent women are often victims of violence; adolescent indigenous mothers encounter discrimination; and there is low SRH knowledge amongst indigenous young people.