Promoting adolescent and youth development, including ensuring their sexual and reproductive health and rights is one of the priority areas of UNFPA. We work with a wide range of partners, including the Government of China, academia, civil society, media, international organizations, youth groups and the private sector, to address issues such as unintended pregnancies, HIV prevention, gender inequality, and violence among young people. 

Advancing comprehensive sexuality education in in-school and out-of-school settings

Every young person will one day have life-changing decisions to make about their sexual and reproductive health. Yet research shows that the majority of adolescents lack the knowledge required to make those decisions responsibly, leaving them vulnerable to coercion, sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies.

UNFPA works with partners to make comprehensive sexuality education available to young people in and out of school through community-based training and outreach, and capacity building with teachers and tutors. UNFPA also promotes policies for, and investment in, ensuring that sexuality education meets international standards.

Increasing the availability of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services

Adolescent- and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services are an important pillar in China’s maternal and child healthcare provision. UNFPA supports evidence-based policy advocacy for the development of adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR), including on promoting quality ASRHR information, youth-friendly services and integrating ASRHR into broader youth development agendas.

Promoting youth leadership and participation for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda

According to the 2015 One Per Cent National Population Sample Survey, there were 175 million youths aged 15-24 in China at the end of 2015. Promoting youth leadership and participation is key to UNFPA’s work. Together with partners from various sectors, UNFPA promotes the meaningful engagement of young people in national and international settings to make their voices heard and to enable them to become drivers of change.