One girl asked how her friend should turn down her boyfriend's request to have sex. She was advised to avoid being alone with him, especially in the dark, to wear unprovocative clothes and to seek tactful ways of denying the demand. Over 60 per cent of the around 80 million Vietnamese are below the age of 25 years. We fully support the Government in better preparing and helping some 15 million adolescents to cope with the life-threatening issues faced today. Most of the alarmingly increasing number of HIV-positive cases are of adolescents.
Unwanted pregnancies are high, with almost every minute a young woman having an abortion.
There is an enormous and urgent need to help them. After the programme's transmission, AP quoted several high school and university students as saying that the show is necessary to improve sex education in Viet Nam. It cited a retired Government employee as describing the broadcast as an excellent opportunity to teach youth about safe sex, something they are taught neither by their parents nor their schools. Young people have been invited to take part in developing the radio script, presenting the programme and responding to questions with the help of leading scientists, educators, doctors and psychologists, according to Mr. Palstra. The Fund will co-finance the show for two years after which Radio Voice of Viet Nam is expected to bear all production costs from its own resources or from commercials aired during the programme.