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First Annual China Youth Reproductive Health Research Report Released at PKU

First Annual China Youth Reproductive Health Research Report Released at PKU

Write: Yomaris [2011-05-20]

Peking University, Beijing, May 5, 2010: The National Working Committee on Children and Women under the State Council (NWCCW), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the PKU Institute of Population Research joined together to release the first annual China Youth Reproductive Health Research Report. The press conference was held at PKU on May 4.

First Annual China Youth Reproductive Health Research Report Released at PKU

Press Conference


The meeting was presided by the PKU Institute of Population Research (IPR) Deputy Director, Dr. Chen Gong. NWCCW Deputy Director, Su Fengjie, UNFPA Resident Representative, Mr. Bernard Coquelin, and PKU Vice President, Zhang Guoyou addressed the audience. PKU IPR Director and WHO Reproductive Health and Population Science Cooperation Center Director, Professor Zheng Xiaoying, delivered a keynote speech on major findings.


The Ministry of Health, the National Population and Family Planning Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security, the Communist Youth League, All China Women's Federation, the China Family Planning Commission, and other departments in relation, the WHO Resident Representative, UNFPA Representatives, PKU, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research (SIPPR), China Population and Development Research Center, China Center for Disease Control and other institutions including those from the media, totaling around 100 people composed the audience.


Following China's fast development, shifting of social values, earlier maturity age and delayed age for first marriage, rates of premarital sex and need for information and services relating to reproductive health are increasing rapidly. These changes to the Chinese society are bringing forth many problems, such as risky sexual behavior, unplanned pregnancies and the spreading of STDs (including AIDS). Due to the rise of these problems, NWCCW and UNFPA joined together along with PKU to initiate this research program. This program is the first of its kind in China, which especially focuses on the youth. This press conference released facts collected over a two-year period, with results indicating the availability and use of reproductive health information and services of 164 million unmarried youth between the ages 15 and 24.


This research showed that among China's youth, approximately 60% think premarital sex is acceptable and 22.4% have had premarital sex, among whom over half did not use any form of contraception. Among females that have had premarital sex, over 20% had unplanned pregnancies and 91% of them chose abortion to end the pregnancy. On the topic of the demand for reproductive health services, the needs are not met for over 60% of consultation services and 50% of treatment services, where the main reasons are either ignorance or feeling embarrassed. Also, only 4.4% of the unmarried youth have the correct view on reproductive health and only 14.4% have adequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention.


NWCCW Deputy Director Su Fengjie pointed out that the results presented above would help us better understand the current situation and needs today's youth have regarding the issue of reproductive health. These results would also help the government in making new policies and planning service systems.


UNFPA Resident Representative, Mr. Bernard Coquelin, stated, "The current reproductive health services are mainly provided to couples of childbearing age. China should take more measures to fulfill its commitments in 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development. China should provide adequate reproductive health education and information."


PKU Vice President, Zhang Guoyou, stated that it was to his greatest pleasure that this press conference was held on the same day as PKU's 112th anniversary and at the same time he emphasized the fact that society should pay more attention to youth reproductive health.


After this press conference, many recommendations on policies regarding youth reproductive health were put forward.

First Annual China Youth Reproductive Health Research Report Released at PKU

NWCCW Deputy Director Ms. Su Fengjie

First Annual China Youth Reproductive Health Research Report Released at PKU

Director of the Research Project, Prof. Zheng Xiaoying

First Annual China Youth Reproductive Health Research Report Released at PKU

UNFPA Resident Representative Dr. Bernard Coquelin

Edited by: Seren
Translated by: An Jiang
Source: PKU News (Chinese)