Comprehensive Sexuality Education
1. Context and background
The 2019 population and housing census for Viet Nam found the highest proportion of young people in the country’s history. Almost half of the population is under the age of 30 years. This demographic window is projected to last until 2039, presenting Viet Nam with the opportunity to accelerate economic and social growth. For many years, Viet Nam has been focused on ensuring that learners have access to sexuality education, in areas such as sexual and reproductive health (SRH), HIV prevention, and the prevention of gender-based violence. Since 2006, the level of adolescent knowledge about reproductive health has improved. Viet Nam has been adopting a more holistic approach to sexuality education, covering a more comprehensive range of topics and issues. The nation’s laws and policies form a progressive rights-based framework for comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). Unfortunately, according to the 2020-2025 National Action Plan on Reproductive and Sexual Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults, socio-cultural barriers are still a major challenge to the provision and use of SRH services and education for adolescents and young adults. A national survey on SRH among young Vietnamese people aged 10-24 found that they were inadequately informed about SRH issues and engaged in practices that carried various degrees of risk. While most youth were aware of modern contraceptives, few knew how to use condoms correctly. Similarly, few had accurate knowledge of HIV & AIDs. The Government recognizes the shortcomings in student knowledge on SRH and that CSE has not been accessible on a sufficiently large scale. Furthermore, the lack of available information and youth-friendly SRH services means that the diverse needs of adolescents and young adults have not been met. These issues are compounded for marginalized groups such as minority ethnic groups, persons with disabilities, young migrants, and LGBTQI+ people. The country has taken many steps to address these needs and plan equitable solutions together with the guidance of international organizations such as UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, UNAIDs, and others.
2. Terminology
The 2020-2025 National Action Plan on Reproductive and Sexual Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults defines age-appropriate 'comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education' as a culturally appropriate approach in Viet Nam for adolescents and young adults to raise awareness, learn important life skills, and improve their behaviour, SRH, and relationships through the provision of scientifically accurate, factual and non-judgmental information. SRH education provides opportunities for adolescents and young people to discover their own values and attitudes as well as equip them with important life skills (communication, decision-making, negotiation, and so on) to reduce risks in many different areas of SRH. This also includes the availability of SRH services that are adolescent-friendly and meet specific needs, in accordance with psycho-physiological characteristics, age, and the wishes of adolescents and young adults. These services are provided in a friendly, confidential and non-judgmental manner.
'Reproductive health' (SKSS: Sức khỏe sinh sản): is a state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or illness related to the reproductive system. SRH therefore implies that people can have a satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the ability to reproduce and make their own decisions about when to reproduce.
'Sexual health' (SKTD: Sức khỏe tình dục): A state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or sexual dysfunction. It requires a positive and respectful approach to sex and sexual relationships, as well as the ability to have satisfying and safe sexual experiences, free from coercion, discrimination and violence.
'Sexual and reproductive health' is often referred to by the acronym SKSS/SKTD.
3. Laws and policies
3.1. Relevant international/regional agreements to which Viet Nam is a signatory
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INTERNATIONAL |
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Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) |
Acknowledges the need to guarantee sexuality education free from discrimination and stereotypes, conveying gender equality values. |
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Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) |
Commits to the right to access appropriate health-related information. |
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Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) |
Commits to the highest attainable standard of health for persons with disabilities. |
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International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights |
Acknowledges that the right to sexual and reproductive health is an integral part of the right to health. |
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The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action |
Calls for sexuality education, counselling and support mechanisms for adolescents, and identifies essential topics. |
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UN General Assembly 2016 Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS |
Includes commitments and calls to scale up and/or attention to scientifically accurate age- and culturally appropriate comprehensive sexuality education. |
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Commission on the Status of Women 2016 Resolution on Women, the Girl Child and HIV and AIDS |
Includes commitments to make universally accessible and available quality comprehensive sexual and reproductive health-care services, commodities, information and education. |
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REGIONAL |
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The Asia and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development (2013) (Asia Pacific) |
Commits to the design, funding and implementation of ‘comprehensive sexuality education and life skills’ programmes that ‘provide accurate information on human sexuality, gender equality, human rights, relationships, and sexual and reproductive health, while recognizing the role and responsibilities of parents. |
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3.2. Relevant national laws and policies mandating comprehensive sexuality education
The 2013 Constitution of the Republic of Viet Nam guarantees equal rights for men and women and states that the state, society, and the family must create conditions for the comprehensive development of women and their role in society. The state also protects the right to education, health care and the interests of mothers and children, as well as the provision of family planning.
The 2005 Education Law states that the goal of the education system is to educate the Viet Namese into 'comprehensively developed persons who possess ethics, knowledge, physical health, aesthetic sense and profession'. The Law requires children to be educated in physical health and positive, loving, relationships with their family, elders, and friends. Children are also guaranteed primary health care services, free medical examinations, and free or reduced-cost treatment at public health care establishments.
Viet Nam’s 2006 Law on Gender Equality promotes gender equality in politics, education, the workforce, public health, and in the family. The Law explicitly states that men and women are 'equal in participating the activities of education and communication on health care, reproductive health and in using health services' and that men and women are 'equal in choosing and deciding on contraceptive measures, measures for safe sex and for preventing and protecting against HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infectious diseases'. Men and women are also guaranteed equality when discussing and deciding the choice and use of the appropriate family planning measures, as well as taking leave to take care of their children as provided by the law. Violations of the law include 'impeding, inciting or forcing other people not to participate in the activities of health education for gender preconception reasons'.
Objective 3 in the 2001-2020 National Strategy on Gender Equality seeks to 'raise the quality of female human resources, gradually ensure equal participation in the education and training between men and women'. To do this, gender equality content should be taught in the curricula of the national education system and gender matters should be included in policies, programmes and plans of the education sector. Objective 4 in the National Strategy aims for 'gender equality in access to and benefit from healthcare services'. This includes SRH services for women and men, with special care to provide flexible, accessible and free-of-charge reproductive healthcare services for those in ethnic minority areas. The Strategy also seeks to intensify communication activities to raise the awareness of SRH for women and men and enhance men’s participation in the implementation of family planning measures. Regarding sexuality education, the strategy explicitly mentions expanding communication activities for minors about sexual health and safe contraception. Objective 5 of the Strategy plans to teach sexuality education through mass media in diverse and flexible forms suitable to each targeted group and each region. Objective 5 in the 2021-2023 National Strategy on Gender Equality develops this further, stating that: 'Content on gender and gender equality will be included in the curricula in the national education system and officially taught in pedagogical schools from 2025 onwards.'
The Government of Viet Nam has improved the policy environment that supports comprehensive youth development, particularly with the participation of adolescents and youth in the development of youth-related policies and frameworks. The revised 2020 Youth Law promotes rights and responsibilities of young people as well as state obligations to realize those rights, ensuring that the youth have information and access to friendly SRH services and that educational institutions offer counselling on social and psychological issues in school settings and equip the youth with life skills, knowledge on healthcare, SRH and gender. In addition, the Premier Minister approved the Government decree to implement policy on youth dialogues, to promote the right to the participation of young people in policy development and implementation, including SRH policies and programmes.
Objective 4 of the 2021-2030 Strategy for Viet Nam's Youth Development is to protect, care for, and improve the health of young people. The Strategy aims to equip most of the country’s youth with knowledge and skills in 'physical training and health improvement; SRH; mental health; population and development; gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence, domestic violence, school violence and sexual abuse; HIV/AIDS and measures to prevent and combat HIV/AIDS.' Every year, young people are to be provided with information and access to friendly counselling and SRH services. All young women are to have convenient access to modern methods of contraception, infertility prevention and assisted reproduction. Service providers should be trained to have appropriate counselling skills in SRH for young people.
The Viet Nam Population Strategy to 2030 confers the primary responsibility to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Training for providing reproductive health education to the youth. This must be appropriate to the specific age and level of education.
The 2020-2025 National Action Plan on Reproductive and Sexual Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults sets out comprehensive steps for improving adolescent SRH in Viet Nam. To accomplish this, comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education for adolescents and young adults is a main focus of the Plan. The Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Home Affairs work together to review, update and implement a comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education programme and a life skills education programme. One of the targets includes educating over 80% of adolescents and young adults in basic SRH topics such as 'safe sex, contraceptive methods, consequences of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion, and prevention of (sexually transmitted infections) STIs'. Over 80% of teachers and parents should also be aware of SRH care for adolescents and young adults. The Plan also aims to closely link intervention programmes/projects on SRH with gender equality, the prevention of gender-based violence among adolescents and young people, and related health programmes, such as the programme on population and family planning, HIV, and other socioeconomic development programmes. The project on SRH care for adolescents and young adults in the period 2021-2025, implementation document No: 5914/QD-BYT, published by the Ministry of Health, gives more details about the action plan. Age-appropriate comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education content, including life skills, is included in the school curriculum. These topics are also to be included in collective activities such as school competitions.
Resolution No. 21- NQ/TW, and the related 137/NQ-CP 2017 National Government Action Plan and 2276/QD-BGDĐT 2018 Education Sector Action Plan all include mandates to provide the population with education on SRH, gender and gender equality. Capacity building training for education administrators, teachers, and lecturers on planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the education programme is also included.
The National Strategy to end AIDS by 2030 proposes the integration of HIV prevention and control within the national education system together with gender equality publicity, gender awareness raising, SRH education, and family education.
Decision 16/2006/QD-BGDĐT and Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT on the General Education Program issued by the Minister of Education and Training calls for the inclusion of sexuality education content in the Nature and Society curriculum for grades 1-3 and the Science curriculum for grades 4 and 5.
3.3. Curricula
Mandatory or optional
According to the 2020-2025 National Action Plan on Reproductive and Sexual Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults, in order to continue raising the awareness and change behaviours regarding SRH care of the youth, adolescents, and related groups (parents, teachers, youth union officials, and so on), the Government must implement communication, education, and counselling activities tailored to the target groups, with priority given to schools, industrial zones, and some vulnerable groups. The Ministry of Education reviews, updates, and implements the comprehensive SRH education programme, including life-skills education, for high schools and universities students.
Comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education for adolescents and young adults is mandatory and implemented synchronously and comprehensively in schools, while Decision 16/2006/QD-BGDĐT and Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT call for the inclusion of sexuality education content at the primary level.
Model of delivery
Guidelines on comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), was successfully incorporated into the newly approved national school curriculum and approved by the Ministry of Education and Training for integration into school curricula at pre-school to upper secondary levels. The Guidelines include substantial content on gender, power dynamics and human rights and life skills, and content to empower children and young people to lead healthy, safe and productive lives was developed, based on international guidance. CSE content, also covering SRH, is designed to be integrated into selected subjects, where it fits in with the learning outcomes of all grades. This approach ensures that CSE content will be integrated systematically across all levels.
Comprehensiveness of content
According to documents such as the 2020-2025 National Action Plan on Reproductive and Sexual Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults, 2021-2030 Strategy for Viet Nam's Youth Development, a range of topics are covered in the sexual and reproductive health education curriculum. These include safe sex; contraceptive methods; consequences of early and unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion; prevention of STIs; gender equality and prevention of gender-based violence; domestic violence; sexual abuse; HIV and measures to prevent and combat HIV; and information on SRH care providers.
According to Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDDT on the General Education Program, contents related to sexuality education such as abuse prevention are included within subjects such as ethics.
Viet Nam is also working on assessing the current curriculum. A team of experts from the Viet Nam Academy of Education and Science has provided an analysis of current sexuality education in the general education environment in the country. The analysis will be used to further modify the content and effect changes in the coming years.
Learning resources
Viet Nam’s national television channel has several videos teaching sexuality education-related information for young children. The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, in collaboration with UNFPA, has created an online self-study programme on reproductive health, sexuality, HIV prevention and gender equality.
Resources provided by the Ministry of Education and Training were not found.
According to the 2020-2025 National Action Plan on Reproductive and Sexual Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults, guidelines for comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education for adolescents and young adults are to be developed, reviewed and updated.
3.4. Teachers
The Ministry of Education and Training conducted a ten-day workshop on Training of Trainers on comprehensive sexuality and life-skills education. The workshop was conducted in 2022 in partnership with UNESCO and UNFPA. Thirty national trainers were trained to deliver comprehensive sexuality and life skills education. A pilot set of lesson plans on CSE for national trainers was printed and shared at this workshop. The materials were adapted from previous training of trainers on school-based CSE. After the training, the national trainers will support provincial education departments and secondary school teachers.
The 2276/QD-BGDĐT 2018 Education Sector Action Plan provides teacher training programmes on topics such as population education, reproductive health, sexual health, gender, and gender equality.
According to the 2020-2025 National Action Plan on Reproductive and Sexual Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults, there are annual trainings for provincial teachers to improve their capacity to teach on SRH care for adolescents and young adults.
3.5. Schools
The 2020-2025 National Action Plan on Reproductive and Sexual Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults aims to ensure that adolescents and young adults are adequately informed and provided with addresses of the facilities providing quality services in SRH care. Information about contraceptives should be available at provincial health clinics. The national goal is to meet the need for modern contraceptives for at least 80% of women aged 15-24. The Ministry of Health’s follow-up project implementation document aims to provide SRH care for adolescents and young adults in schools and asks that 80% of schools have plans to do this, including the costing for the implementation.
4. Governance
4.1 Responsible ministries
According to the 2001–20 National Strategy on Gender Equality, the Ministry of Education and Training is responsible for organizing the implementation of the 2011-2020 Educational Development Strategy; implementing the contents of gender, sex, reproductive health and gender equality education for pupils and students; training teachers and lecturers in gender, sex, reproductive health and gender equality; and incorporating gender equality issues into sectoral development plans.
According to the 2021-2030 Strategy for Viet Nam's Youth Development, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs assume the prime responsibility for formulating and implementing comprehensive sex and reproductive health education programs in educational institutions and vocational education institutions. They are to coordinate their activities with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Health and other agencies, as appropriate.
Provinces must incorporate their own plans and strategies that align with the national strategies. This applies to the 2020-2025 National Action Plan on Reproductive and Sexual Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults, the 2021-2030 Strategy for Viet Nam's Youth Development, the 137/NQ-CP 2017 National Government Action Plan on Population Development, and so on.
4.2. Level of responsibility/decentralization and autonomy
According to the 2020-2025 National Action Plan on Reproductive and Sexual Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults, SRH education programmes in schools were being implemented but were not consistent across provinces and were not under the supervision of the Department of Education and Training or the Department of Health. Instead, the programmes depended on the voluntary consent of the students and each school. The National Action Plan sought to improve this by mandating the programme's implementation into all schools. No updated information this has been found.
4.3. Government budget allocation
Funding for the implementation of the 2021-2025 School Health Program in preschool and general education is provided by the state budget, domestic and foreign organizations and individuals, and legal revenue sources of schools.
At least 50% of provinces/cities must allocate a portion of their annual budget to implement the Action Plan/Scheme on reproductive and sexual health care for adolescents and young people in their localities for the period 2020-2025 in accordance with the National Action Plan on Reproductive and Sexual Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults. The total estimated budget for the implementation of the action plan is 200 billion VND (equivalent to 8.63 million USD).
5. Monitoring and reporting
Viet Nam measures adolescent reproductive and sexual health through national surveys. These surveys measure topics such as knowledge of contraceptives, correct use of contraceptives, a woman's fertility period, sexual health issues, and pregnancy. The 2020-2025 National Action Plan on Reproductive and Sexual Health Care for Adolescents and Young Adults also details plans for creating a set of indicators and monitoring and evaluation tools on SRH for adolescents and young people according to categories such as age, ethnicity, region, education level and economic status. The 2276/QD-BGDĐT 2018 Education Sector Action Plan states that one of the implementation goals is to 'develop criteria for monitoring and evaluation of educational activities on population, reproductive health, sexual health, gender, gender equality and gender for pupils and students'. The Plan also seeks to guides education managers at all levels to implement periodic monitoring and reporting.
