The Effectiveness of Adolescent Reproductive Health Interventions in Developing Countries: A Review of the Evidence

Ilene S. Speizer, Tulane University
Robert J. Magnani, Tulane University
Charlotte Colvin, Tulane University

About half of all people infected with HIV/AIDS are under age 25 and more than 13 million adolescent girls give birth each year in the developing world. These outcomes can have negative impacts on the transition from adolescence to adulthood, resulting in lower educational or employment opportunities, sterility, and possibly death. In response, adolescent reproductive health (ARH) interventions have been implemented in many developing countries in recent years. However, relatively few rigorous evaluations of intervention impact have been undertaken, and those that have been undertaken have yet to be synthesized and transformed into "lessons learned" for future programs. This paper presents a review and synthesis of findings from 39 "strong" evaluations of ARH programs in developing country settings and identifies "best bets" and "worst bets" for future programs.