Better reproductive health, sexual rights awareness of youth urged

MANILA, Philippines - With the high incidence of teenage pregnancies as a result of the early sexual encounters in the country and around the world, it is high time for young people to be more informed of their sexual and reproductive health rights.

This was the message on Tuesday by the organizers of the 7th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health Rights at the Philippine International and Convention Center in Pasay City.

Jeross Aguilar, chairperson of the Youth steering committee of the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines, said the conference will be a venue for young people in the region to share experiences and best practices to mold policies of governments to be youth-friendly.

"This conference was organized by young people for young people so that young people have a space where they can discuss and talk about issues that affect them.

"This will also be a venue for collaborative work between young people. Beyond that,  this conference links young people with adults so we can form partnerships to move forward and advocate for more sexual and reproductive rights," Aguilar said.  

Her Royal Highness Princess Gusti Pembuyan of the Kingdom and Special Region of Yogyakara, Indonesia called on the governments to create and institute policies that would help the young on reproductive health and sexual rights.

"I would like to invite the government and also the community and also the family itself to help all the young people around the world to have a strong self esteem because nowadays parents are so busy [and that] parents and the young  [have] less discussion in the house,"  Pembuyan said.

Pembuyan said it is her first time to attend such a conference.

Other notable attendees during the opening of the event were Sen. Pia Cayetano, a staunch women's reproductive health; and Tewodros Melesse, director general of the International Planned Parenthood Federation.

More than 3,000 participants from various groups including government, private, non-government sectors representing women's  organizations, youth, policy makers, program managers, health professionals, researchers, interfaith groups, social scientists, activists and donor agencies are expected to attend the three-day conference.