Adolescence can be a confusing, stressful and frightening period. During this transition from childhood to adulthood, changes are happening both physically and emotionally.

We are living with the largest generation of adolescents ever, some 1.8 billion. According to health experts, it’s also the unhealthiest generation in decades. Girls are especially vulnerable. Harmful attitudes and practices such as early sexual relations and pregnancy, genital mutilation, and drug use greatly reduce their health and well-being.

The last 15 years have seen progress with a drop in maternal deaths from 500,000 to 340,000 a year but there continues to be a huge funding gap for female health care services.

From the highlands of Peru to the sandy plains in rural Senegal, UN Radio talks to 15 year old girls about health issues affecting their lives.

Listen: Health
[audio:http://downloads.unmultimedia.org/radio/en/ltd/mp3/2010/project15_HEALTH.mp3]

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Producer: Jocelyne Sambira
Assistant Producer: Florence Poblete-Enriques