ADOLESCENT HEALTH - A MIDDLE-EAST AND NORTH-AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

Adolescence is a period of physical, psychological and social transiti on from childhood to adulthood. At present there are 95 million young people aged between 10 and 24 years in the Middle East and North Afric a. Female education is increasing in these regions, but secondary scho ol enrollment rates for girls lag behind those of their male counterpa rts. Average age at first marriage varies between 17.9 and 24.3 years, but teenage marriage is quite common. Total fertility rates are highe r than the world average. Pregnancy at an early age often translates i nto a high fertility rate and high risks for women and their children. Female children's share of food, health care, work options and genera l care is often less than that of boys, because they are perceived to be less valuable than boys in some countries.