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.