Within the past five years, there have been 7,000 to 8,000 babies born to Taiwanese girls between the ages of 15 to 19 years old.
Ministry statistics in Taiwan state that only 153 girls became pregnant. The reality is different. Many people are calling for better sex education in Taiwanese schools to lower the rate of teenage pregnancies.
About one in every 10 Taiwanese girl is getting pregnant. This is four times higher than the rate in South Korea. As a developing country, lowering the teenage pregnancy rate becomes important to ensure the success of the nation.
Discussion around improving the sex education includes educating boys about proper use of condoms, as well as practicing responsibility when it comes to their relationships with girls.
Sex education is more than about passing on knowledge, it also involves passing on values. If young people in Taiwan are not receiving the education they need to know what is appropriate behaviour at their age – the teenage pregnancy rate will continue to climb. The education ministry in Taiwan is making every effort to ensure that future statistics of teenage preganancies will be eradicated down to zero.
Source: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/06/14/2003414679
