VietNamNet Bridge – The Department of Education and Training, the Bureau of Population and Family Planning and the Department of Health in HCM City will jointly organize a sex education program in 16 junior high schools in Ho Chi Minh City from December 10-15.

The aim of the program is to bring better understanding of sex and the repercussions of unhealthy habits, and will include knowledge of reproductive health and behavior changes that can be adopted.
 
The program started after a recent survey on gender and reproductive health knowledge among students, conducted by the Ministry of Education and Training on 800 youth from the ages of 14-24.

The survey showed that young people, especially students in junior high schools, are not fully aware of sex and reproductive health.
 
The survey revealed that nearly 70 percent of unmarried young people have already had sexual intercourse at a very young age, but half of them don’t even know how to use a condom and 25 percent had little knowledge of a condom.

Of the young people questioned for the survey, 40 percent had had sexual intercourse the first time without any protective measures.
 
Proper sex and gender education for students will help prevent unexpected incidents such as unsafe sex, unintentional pregnancies, unwanted abortions, birth related problems and diseases transmitting through sex such as HIV/AIDS.

Source: SGGP