Youth Led Initiatives on Promoting Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Information and Services for Vietnamese youth and adolescents

There are six youth led initiatives selected from the competition, which was launched in May 2015 to call for development of innovative and practical initiatives promoting access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services for Vietnamese young people.

Data from the 2014 Inter-Census Population Survey shows that Viet Nam has entered a "golden population" period, recording the highest proportion of young people in Viet Nam’s history. Young people between the ages of 10 to 29 years old now represent nearly one third of the total population. This "demographic window of opportunity" remains open until 2040, and presents Viet Nam with a one-time and unique opportunity in its history to make this golden period the driver for socio-economic prosperity, by ensuring that every young person is educated and supported to achieve his or her full potential.

Young people have played a significant role in Viet Nam's growth and they represent an increasingly large proportion of the labour force, both now and well into the future. Investing in the education and health, including sexual and reproductive health, of young people is of utmost importance to Viet Nam's productivity and development in the future.

However, young people still lack vital knowledge and life-skills to negotiate safe sex and consensual relationships, and face considerable barriers to accessing SRH services. Sexuality education for young people remains limited, particularly amongst those who are ethnic minorities, migrants or living in rural areas. As a consequence, young people are at risk of early and unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortion, and sexually transmitted infections including HIV.

"The participation of young people in designing and analyzing the policies that affect them is one way to ensure that the policies and services respond to their actual needs. Evidence shows that working in partnership with young people is an essential component of any successful youth programmes,” said Ms. Ritsu Nacken, UNFPA Deputy Representative in Viet Nam.

After nearly one year implementation, these youth led initiatives confirms that young people are not just beneficiaries, but they are agents of change, and have great capacity to contribute to improving access to SRH services and information when such an opportunity is available.

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Nguyễn Thị Hồng Thanh 

Communication officer, UNFPA

Phone: 84 4 3822 4383 (ext. 117)

Cell: 0913 093363

Email: tnguyen@unfpa.org

Ms. Doan Thị Thuy

Deputy Head of Communications Office

Central Center for Youth and Adolescents

Ho Chi Minh Youth Union

Phone: (84)3.5544161, 3.8548773

Cell: (84) 0975634401;

Email:  doanthuy0409@gmail.com