Special events were held Thursday at the
Renmin University of
China in Beijing to mark the 16th World Population Day.
July 11 is the 16th World Population Day with the theme of
"adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights." The slogan
this year is: "1 billion adolescents: the right to health,
information and services."
About one billion of the world's population are aged 15 to 24,
including nearly 200 million in China.
Statistics from Marie
Stopes International, a non-profit international organization
that promotes reproductive health, show half the abortion cases and
HIV virus carriers in the world are young people. About 6,000 young
people are HIV-affected every day and 10 girls receive unsafe
abortions every ten minutes. For girls younger than 15, the
mortality rate connected to reproduction and pregnancy is 25 times
higher than for women above the age of 25.
Young people are the most vulnerable of all age groups to emotional
confusion and sexual diseases. The 2003 World Population Day will
urge society to pay attention to young people's sexual health.
During the events, student volunteers of the Renmin University
staged many lively programs to spread sexual and reproductive
knowledge among the young people. Students were asked questions
such as: "What are the three major ways of HIV virus transmission",
"Name at least three contraception methods", and "Are oral
contraceptives harmful to health".
Siri Tellier, representative of the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA), who attended the
events, said: "Although young people are healthier than other age
groups in general, they have specific risks related to their
behavior."
Many risks could be avoided if they had the knowledge and services
to make wise choices, said Tellier, calling for adults to have more
respect and trust for young people.
Marie Stopes International opened a special website for young
people to openly discuss emotional problems, sex and reproductive
health.
The World Population Day was inaugurated in 1988 by the UNFPA to
mark July 11, 1987, when the world's population hit five
billion.
(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2003)