Quang Ninh hosts forum on reproductive, sexual health

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Quang Ninh (VNA) – A forum on reproductive and sexual health and rights of
young people was held in Ha Long city, the northern province of Quang Ninh on
November 27.

The event was a
sideline activity of the ongoing ninth Asia Pacific conference on reproductive
and sexual health and rights (APCRSHP), scheduled for November 28-30.

Bjorn Andersson,
Asia Pacific Regional Director of the United Nations Population Fund (),
said the conference has the theme “Leave no one behind! Justice in sexual and
reproductive health”.

He underlined the need for
investment in reproductive health care and gender education, particularly at
primary level, to help children respect each other while improving their
communicative skills.

Legal framework should be
developed and enforced to ensure that teenagers and youths are well taken care
of in terms of reproductive and sexual health, and that their rights on the
issues are fully implemented, according to Bjorn Andersson.

According to UNFPA, Asia Pacific Region, around 10,000 girls are
annually reported dead due to pregnancy-related complications. Some 5.2 million
teenagers get pregnant and 6.3
million have sex without contraceptive measures. The region also reports
90,000 new cases of HIV infection.-VNA