For the first time in Nepal, a mHealth initiative that aims to improve knowledge and awareness on sexual and reproductive health among adolescents has been launched.

Adolescent girls and boys in Nepal face a number of issues related to their sexuality and reproductive health, including child marriage, sexual and gender-based violence, and unwanted pregnancies. Many of them still lack correct information on the physical and emotional changes that puberty brings, on the modes of HIV transmission and on their rights to decide freely when to marry and when to have children to name a few examples. More than 22 million Nepali people are mobile phone users, with the majority being young people.

This initiative, named Mobile Health for Adolescent Sexual & Reproductive Health or mH4ASRH, helps adolescents have access to information they want to know but are often too shy to ask. It is a joint initiative under the leadership of the National Health Education and Information Communication Center (NHEICC), Ministry of Health and Population and in collaboration with GIZ, UNFPA and USAID.

Adolescence is a vulnerable period when many become sexually active and are curious about their sexual and reproductive health. Lack of information and awareness can have long-lasting consequences, unless adolescents are empowered with a full range of information that will enable them to make informed choices about their health and sexuality. Though there is comprehensive sexuality education in primary and secondary schools, many teachers still hesitate to teach issues of sexuality. Furthermore, too many people still believe that discussing sexuality issues leads to promiscuity. The opposite is actually true!

The reality in Nepal is that more adolescents are engaging in pre-marital sex and unsafe sexual behavior*. Use of contraceptives by adolescents (15-19 years) is very low, yet the unmet need for family planning as per the 2011 Nepal Demographic Health Survey was estimated at 41.6%, much higher than the national average of 27% for women of reproductive age groups (15-49 years).

Launching the initiative during the first-ever National Family Planning Day on 18 September, Minister for Health and Population Khaga Raj Adhikari recognized the crucial role that mobile technology can play in reaching out to informing adolescents and reaffirmed the commitment of his Ministry to ensure that no stone will be left unturned to empower jndividuals with information.

Commending the commitment made by the government and NHEICC in particular in initiating this novel concept, Giulia Vallese, Representative of the UN Population Fund to Nepal, said, "UNFPA is proud to join other partners in the efforts to ensure that every adolescent and young person's potential is fulfilled in order to prevent HIV transmission and unwanted pregnancies as well as ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health. She also stressed the importance of education and informed choice and recalled a famous quote by an American educator who once said, "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance".

The mHealth initiative is targeting to reach out to at least 300,000 adolescents out of an estimated 6 million and will reach out to adolescents through four different ways:
Encyclopedia (On-demand information): Using keywords, adolescents have access to an online encyclopedia to get the answers they need.
Role Model Stories: Role model stories that are tailored to adolescents' specific age and gender, and where they can choose the path of the story. 
Quizzes: The content of the quizzes are based on the encyclopedia and role model stories.
Hotline: The platform connects adolescents to a hotline where they can talk directly with health workers.

*According to the National Adolescent Health Survey 2012, 13% of adolescents engaged in pre-marital sex.