Global lessons on healthy adolescent sexual development.
OBJECTIVE
Examining global trends of adolescent sexual behavior is essential to inform clinical practice as well as for developing interventions and educational strategies to ensure healthy sexual development in young people.


RESULTS
Most young people begin sexual activity in their teenage years. Extensive research has been conducted to elucidate risk and protective factors for sexual activity in adolescence and to evaluate the success of different sex education programs in influencing these factors. Some risk and protective factors were similar globally, whereas others differed by sex and community. Research findings suggest that comprehensive sex education, which includes skills-based interventions, is effective in changing youth behavior. In addition, research points towards the importance of addressing larger structural and contextual issues such as gender equality, poverty, and education in improving the sexual health of adolescents.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents begin their sexual lives in their teen years; therefore, clinicians need to focus on positive ways to help teenagers develop healthy relationships while providing guidance around reducing risky sexual behaviors.
Koyama
Atsuko
A
Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. atsuko.koyama@childrens.harvard.edu
Corliss
Heather L
HL
Santelli
John S
JS
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003267:Contraception; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D046468:Sexual Development