A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Female Adolescents' Reproductive Health and Well-being in the Modern World

Adolescence is a phase of life where transformation from
childhood to adulthood takes place. Puberty, as the marker of this
phase, presents a significant opportunity to lay a foundation for
reproductive health of young people. Pubertal development affects
female adolescents differently to their male counterparts. Within
this period, the young female will experience significant changes in
her body and will start her reproductive journey. It is essential that
young females are prepared to ensure a smooth transition and a
positive puberty experience. However, little is known about young
females' knowledge of reproductive health during puberty or their
sources of information about reproductive health during this critical
time. Globally, research focuses on adolescents aged 15 years and
above, and there is limited data on early adolescents, specifically
young female adolescents age 12 to 15 years. Studies conducted with
Indonesian adolescents tend to focus on sexual behaviour as a poor
reproductive health outcome and fail to consider the importance of
exploring adolescents' knowledge of reproductive health during
puberty. This PhD study was designed to address these gaps in the
literature by providing an exploration into young females' knowledge
of reproductive health and the sources of information regarding
reproductive health during puberty.