Using Participatory Learning and Action to Assess Adolescents' Reproductive Health Status: A Qualitative Report on In-School and Out-of-School Youth in Wuhan, China

Yingying Zhou, University of Washington
Qian Geng, Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH)
Yongfeng Liu, China Family Planning Association

Sexual and reproductive health status of adolescents in China is gaining growing public and academic concerns in recent years. However, studies on this issue are scattered, while intervention programs addressing the issue lack theory grounds. The China Youth RH Project is a partnership between PATH and CFPA. Incorporating cognitive behavior and stage of change theories, it aims to improve RH status of youth ages 10-24 in China. This paper reports findings from the PLA needs assessment research of the project, presenting the RH status of in-school and out-of-school youth in Wuhan, including their knowledge, attitudes, skills, behaviors, and needs regarding sexuality and RH. Social environment that shape the two groups' access and utilization of RH services is emphasized. The study has policy implications that the social environment needs to be improved for both groups of youth, especially for the out-of-school youth, who have more unmet RH needs than the in-school youth.