A fine line exists between parents providing support and parents pushing their own beliefs on young people. This paper argues that research suggests that most young people are capable of making mature, healthy decisions about their reproductive health and that most of the time there is a positive association when parents are involved in young people’s reproductive health decisions.

How can parents effectively support the autonomous decision-making of young people?

This paper recognizes and discusses the range of ‘protection’ and ‘autonomy’ rights relevant to young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and addresses the relevance of different international, regional and UN charters and conventions on children’s rights.

Are protection and autonomy opposing concepts?

This policy brief highlights important obstacles that result in poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes among young people. Policy recommendations provide advice for governments and policy makers on how to improve young people’s access to information, services and supplies.

Contraceptive Security Securing contraceptives for economic development

An example of guidelines governing young people’s right to consent to treatment, from the UK, a case study on ensuring informed consent during a consultation about contraception, guidance on establishing, understanding and modelling consent, a checklist for being a youth-friendly health professional.

Keys to youth-friendly services: Obtaining informed consent

There are approximately 3 billion people under 25 and a large percentage of those young people lack the access to sexual and reproductive health services or information that they need to translate their decisions into realities for their lives now and in the future.

Keys to youth-friendly services: Introducing the series