The Asia and the Pacific region has over 1 billion young people aged 10-24, constituting more than half of the global youth population. Sexual and reproductive health issues, including adolescent pregnancy and childbirth, unsafe abortion and sexually transmitted infections, are challenges that need to be addressed so that young people can achieve their potential.
UNFPA is working with governments and civil society organizations to ensure that adolescents and young people have the knowledge and life skills needed for a healthy, productive future. Central to this is UNFPA’s ongoing work supporting youth policy development and implementation, and collecting and analysing data to inform evidence-based policies and effective programming.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education
The Fund promotes comprehensive sexuality education for both in- and out-of-school adolescents by promoting supportive national policies, strengthening curricula, training teachers and developing tools to measure implementation in schools. Comprehensive sexuality education is complemented by the use of information communication technologies such as the Internet and social media, improving young people’s access to reliable information.
Youth-friendly Health Services
UNFPA promotes the scaling up of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services that respect clients’ right to confidentiality and do not judge, stigmatize or discriminate against them, and it advocates for the elimination of legal and policy barriers to accessing information and services.
Engaging Youth
UNFPA also supports and partners with youth-led organizations in the region and provides opportunities for young people to participate in high-level advocacy events such as the Bali Youth Forum (2012) and the Sixth Asia-Pacific Population Conference (2013). The Y-PEER, or youth peer education initiative, active throughout the region, trains thousands of young people to be advocates for and sources of factual information on sexual and reproductive health, and to act as mentors to their peers on these important life-shaping issues.
