Her Health, Her Lifetime, Our World

She is a 12-year-old who needs to stay in school, be adequately nourished, learn how to keep herself safe and healthy, and be vaccinated against HPV to protect her from cervical cancer later in life. She is a single 16-year-old who seeks to complete her secondary education and find a job, while meeting her needs for voluntary contraceptive choices and protection against HIV. She is a married 24-year-old who wants to provide for her family, control the timing and spacing of her pregnancies, survive childbirth, live a healthy full life, and have strong, well-nourished children.

As the adolescent girl becomes a young woman, her life prospects and those of her children will rest on access to several vital interventions that are commonplace in the United States: information and services on voluntary contraceptive choices, access to education and prevention of early child marriage, basic nutrition, vaccines to prevent cervical cancer, economic opportunities, and reliable protections against violence. How her life evolves will rely on access to quality care, informed decisions, and critical support structures.

We have a historic opportunity to make a difference—for her future, for the future of her family and community, and for our own—by providing the tools that allow her to realize her full potential.