It has now become very important to organize healthcare programs for adolescents in order to spread basic awareness and ensure their holistic well-being. The purpose for doing so, is to address health problems related to lifestyle and maladjustment as well as gynecological problems in girls such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) which now adversely affect girls at a much younger age.

Adolescence (10 to 19 years) is a phase of rapid changes in growth and development in physical, psychological and behavioral aspects. Worldwide, adolescents constitute more than 1.2 billion people, and makes up about 28% of Indian population i.e. 240 million. Girls account almost 45% of them i.e. 120 million.

India loses around $56 billion worth of productivity due to early adolescent pregnancy, child bearing, dropping out of school and joblessness.

Puberty is common to both girls and boys but it is more evident in girls because of the obvious, visible changes of growing breasts and onset of menstruation. Puberty in girls is a massive change in most of the families, because to many it is not only a physical change, it also a social change. Hence, apart from the physiological challenges of growing breasts, menstrual pain, menstrual irregularity and hormonal disturbances, there are challenges of emotional and mental coping of peer and social pressures.

Onset of menstruation is a landmark event and beginning of adolescence in young girls. While, menstrual pattern abnormalities are not uncommon or significant in the initial few years of the start, persistence of such abnormal pattern can be the earliest sign of hormonal imbalances leading to a number of problems in women at reproductive age group.

Some common health concerns are dysmenorrhoea (pain during periods), menorrhagia (heavy and prolonged periods), PCOS (hormonal imbalance), hirsutism (unwanted hair in different parts of the body), obesity, acne, delayed puberty, absence of puberty, underdeveloped secondary sexual characteristics etc. It is important to cater well designed healthcare awareness programs to young boys and girls from 11 to 21 years as they step into adolescence and also when they are struggling out of it in the initial years. Government of India already has national and state level healthcare schemes like RKSK (Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram) , Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) and Narendra Modi government is launching Ayushman Bharat scheme as well. Only proper implementation of these schemes at grassroots and cultural level will help in improving the situation of adolescent healthcare in India.

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