CRI听力:UNFPA Forum on Adolescent Pregnancy

According to the 2013 State of World Population Report, or 2013 SWOP, released by UNFPA, motherhood in childhood is a huge global problem, especially in developing countries, where every year, 7.3 million girls under 18 give birth.

The new report offers a fresh perspective on adolescent pregnancy, looking not only at girls' behavior as a cause of early pregnancy, but also at the actions of their families, communities and governments.

Arie Hoekman is the representative of UNFPA China office.

"Too many times, it's the girls that get to be blamed for getting pregnant. But in fact, they are the ones that actually don't have any control for most of the time in the own lives over their own bodies. They are being married up at very early age, one in three girls before the age of 18 will be married in this present world. It's not a matter of a deliberate choice, but rather the absence of choices, and of circumstances beyond a girl's control. It is a consequence of little unknown access to school, employment, quality information and health care."

Zhang Lei from the Population Research Institute of Beijing University presented some key findings on adolescent pregnancy in China from the first UNFPA-supported national survey on access and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services by unmarried youth ages 15 to 24.

The research showed that, even though the majority of unmarried youth are open to having sex before marriage, only a very small portion of them—less than five percent, are well informed about reproductive health.　

Less than 15 percent had correct knowledge about preventing HIV infection. The survey showed four out of 100 unmarried females ages 15-24 have been pregnant, and almost 90 percent of these pregnancies resulted in abortion.

Zhang Lei says family and school play important roles in sexual education for youth before the age of 20, but in China, they fail to provide effective sexual and reproductive education to children. She gives some suggestions based on her teams' research.

"At the family level, parents must play an active role in a child's sexual education. Plus, effective sexual education should be ensured during the compulsory education period. Also, because adolescent pregnancy has a lot to do with kids, especially regarding the education of young women and whether she is living in poverty. Last, but not least, under the currently political mechanism, government should take the lead in promoting sexual and reproductive health education and integrate available resources."

Pan Tao, mother of a 15 year old boy, says she and her friends are aware of the importance of giving their children proper sex related guidance, but it's not an easy task, especially for her, as a single parent.

"I can't get very detailed about how sexual behavior or how sex is performed. So, I choose to find my son some proper books, and so do my coworkers. Proper materials are hard to find; the books shouldn't be too academic or too sexual."

Yu Yang, director of a volunteer organization in Renmin University that is dedicated to promoting sexual and reproductive education among university students, says China's sex education at a school level is not practical at all.

"At the school level, most students from remote places, rather than Beijing and Shanghai, never had in-depth sex education at all. The knowledge they acquire before they come to the university are too superficial; it does little to help them properly assess behavior and how to protect themselves."

At the forum, Arie Hoekman emphasizes the importance of addressing sexual and reproductive health challenges young people are facing in China; it is important to work with young people themselves. The youth stand at the center of the solutions. They can be active purveyors and drivers for change.

He also says more reliable data is needed through consultation with young people in order to inform evidence-based policy making and to improve provisions of youth-friendly services and information.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.