HANOI, Vietnam – Nearly 3000 students from 30 universities have participated in flash mobs across Vietnam to raise awareness about sexual and reproductive health issues. The activists built on a series of popular music festivals, holding up to six flash mobs a day in six major cities, reaching hundreds of thousands of young people with their messages.
The flash mobs took place at Rockstorm, a music tour that ran from December to January in Hue, Da Nang, Bien Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho and Hanoi.
The campaign, entitled “Connecting the hearts of Vietnamese youth”, took place at Rockstorm, a huge series of concerts in several cities. © UNFPA Vietnam
Flash mobs organized in collaboration between UNFPA and Rockstorm sponsor MobiFone disseminated information on teenage pregnancy, condom negotiation and other key health messages. Information booths staffed by trained youth were also on hand to provide information on sensitive issues, including how to use condoms and protect against HIV transmission.
Neglecting the needs of young people
The number of young people in Vietnam is the largest in the country’s history. According to the 2014 World Population Report, a quarter of the population is between the ages of 10 and 24; other population estimates show that the young population is even larger. While Vietnamese youth are becoming increasingly healthy and well-educated, their sexual and reproductive health is largely ignored.
Comprehensive sexuality education in schools remains limited, and many Vietnamese young people report facing barriers when trying to access reproductive health information and services such as contraception. Some groups, including young migrants and young ethnic minorities, are even less likely to have access to this kind of information and services.
Booklets on sexual and reproductive health were distributed at the events.
As a result, many young people are vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. In addition, many women and girls are vulnerable to sexual violence and gender-based violence.
The flash mob campaign, known as “Connecting the Hearts of Vietnamese Youth”, was designed to spread information about safe sex, contraception and youth empowerment, and to engage young people as activists who can further spread sexual and reproductive health messages to their peers.
A call for change
Thousands of young people joined the flash mobs after learning about the campaign through their university networks and social media. Two popular rock bands also encouraged fans to get involved.
More than 3000 university students participated in the flash mobs, which took place in six major cities, reaching an audience of one hundred thousand.
In some cases, the interest to participate overwhelmed the organizers. In Hanoi, nearly 2,000 young people registered to take part in a flash mob with 600 participants.
The campaign messages resonated with the Rockstorm audience.
“We have received useful information about STDs [sexually transmitted diseases], SRH [sexual and reproductive health], we understand more about the risks we face and how to protect ourselves to enjoy life,” said 18-year-old Thanh Thao at the Rockstorm venue in Hue.
“Sexuality education does not encourage us to have sex earlier or be more promiscuous,” a student from Ho Chi Minh City told UNFPA, “Instead, we will be more confident in making decisions about sex, smarter in choosing partners and more successful in negotiations. This will make us all safer and more responsible in our sexual relationships.”