Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Adolescents: A Current Issue Facing the Health System in Nigeria

Abstract

Adolescents, the population between the ages of 10-19 years constitute more than 30 million of the Nigerian total population, yet their special circumstance of being in a stage of transition from childhood to adulthood is been ignored. And even though adolescents have rapid physical, emotional, and intellectual development, they have been found to have a high risk of sexually transmitted infection. Globally about 340 million new cases of STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis occur each year and the majority are seen in people of 25 years and below. Nearly 6000 new cases of Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) are being detected in young people daily, and two-thirds of the World’s youth living with HIV today live in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper will therefore focus on the impact of adolescent sexually transmitted infections (STI) on healthcare service delivery and suggests two policy options to reduce the STI burden among Nigerian adolescents. Key words: Adolescents, STIs, Healthcare, service delivery, policy.