Almost a quarter of young people aged 15-24 years old in China have had sex, but at least one third did not use any method of contraception the first time they did. And around one in five sexually active young women will have an unplanned pregnancy
– with the vast majority of these resulting in an abortion.
In order to promote better awareness about sex among young people in China, this week the World Health Organization (WHO) is launching a new social media campaign to increase awareness about the importance of safer sex.
“More and more young people in China are having sex. But many of them are doing so without the knowledge and information that can help protect them from the risks of unsafe sex – like unplanned pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – with sometimes devastating consequences,” said Dr Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO Representative in China.
In 2014, almost half a million cases of syphilis and 70,000 new cases of HIV were reported in China. More than 90 per cent of new HIV cases in China are sexually transmitted. Globally, 500 million people around the world become ill with one of four STIs – chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis – every year.
“Through our new campaign, WHO is reaching out to young people who are sexually active, or thinking about becoming sexually active, with accurate and digestible information about safer sex. And there’s no better way to reach young people than through social media,” Dr Schwartländer said.
WHO’s safer sex awareness campaign will be run via the micro-blogging platform Weibo, using the hashtag #GotItCovered [#爱不解套#]. The campaign aims to engage university and graduate students, and will provide practical, factual information – for example, about the effectiveness of condom use in preventing unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. WHO will also be listening closely to young people themselves through a series of anonymous polls – and providing information on the topics they most want to know more about.
“We know that talking about sex can feel uncomfortable for many young people. But it is clear that there is a need to start the conversation – and provide a space through which young people in China can equip themselves with the knowledge and information they need to have sex safely and responsibly,” Dr Schwartländer concluded.
To learn more follow WHO China's official Weibo (@世界卫生组织), or scan the campaign QR code:
