Better sex education will keep youth safe

Lack of proper sex education, particularly in schools, is having some serious effects on Chinese youngsters. Today, an increasing number of Chinese adolescents are engaging in premarital sex, in many cases without any knowledge of how to protect themselves from the negative consequences. As a result, teenage pregnancy and premarital abortion have become major public health issues.

There are increasing numbers of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)-including HIV/AIDS - among young adults. In recent years, China has seen an upsurge in syphilis, gonorrhea and Chlamydia and HIV/AIDS cases.

An official report on families, released earlier this year, shows the average age of Chinese adolescents having sex for the first time is 15.9 years. No wonder, there is an increase in unwanted pregnancies. According to a think tank, affiliated to the National Health and Family Planning Commission, about 13 million abortions are performed every year in China. But Marie Stopes International, a reproductive-health agency, estimates the real figure could be much higher, considering the sales of domestic drugs used for terminating pregnancies.

What makes the situation more serious is that girls are undergoing abortions at a younger age.

Still, many parents are either reluctant or refuse to teach their children the use of condoms and the importance of safe sex, hoping they would never engage in premarital sex. This lack of knowledge on the part of adolescents may partly explain the high pregnancy and abortion rates among youngsters.