Stung Treng, CAMBODIA – Eighteen-year-old Vutha used to navigate a world of unanswered questions. A Grade 10 student at Hun Sen Stung Treng High School, he was curious about the changes teenagers are experiencing. Vutha wanted to understand the differences in how boys and girls experience puberty, but the answers were nowhere to be found.
"I was not able to get it from social media” Vutha recalls, and “I did not talk about it with friends or parents”. This silence bred a landscape of myths and half-truths, leaving him and his classmates to piece together a flawed understanding of their own bodies and health. Things changed with the introduction of a Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) course at Hun Sen Stung Treng High School. Through the weekly lessons, the fog of misinformation began to clear. Vutha’s perspective on critical health issues shifted dramatically. “I used to think that HIV could be transmitted by touching," he admits. Now, he understands the realities of transmission through sexual contact and blood. His views on social norms also evolved. "I thought teenage marriage was a good thing, a result of love and happiness," he says. Today, he recognizes the profound challenges and lost opportunities that can come with marrying too young. He had no concept of contraception before; now, he understands its vital role in preventing unintended pregnancies and STIs.
However, the most profound change wasn't just in what Vutha learned, but in his communication behavior. The experience to learn correct information about human development, sexuality, reproduction and healthy relationships empowered Vutha to break the walls of silence he had grown up with. After a lesson on menstruation, he did something that would have been unthinkable before: he went home and talked to his mother about it. He also spoke with his female friends. "I wanted to know how women feel during menstruation," he explains. This simple and courageous act of asking opened up a new depth of empathy and understanding, helping him appreciate the challenges women face.
Vutha's journey from quiet confusion to confident understanding is a strong echoing across Cambodia. In Cambodia, where young people make up nearly a third of the population, their health, knowledge, and engagement are critical to the nation's progress. Yet, they have limited access to youth friendly health information, and a pervasive cultural reluctance, particularly among older generations, has kept these vital conversations in the shadows. However, ensuring access to the accurate information of human development, sexuality, reproduction and healthy relationships that is appropriate for their age is critical to their health, wellbeing and dignity.
This transformation is powered by the national Health Education, which includes CSE curriculum as a compulsory subject, implemented by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MOEYS) with vital support from UNFPA. By providing technical assistance, reviewing materials with global best practices, and developing new textbooks and training manuals, UNFPA has helped MOEYS roll out this essential education to students in grades 5-12. In 2024, approximately 905,712 adolescents and youth across Cambodia have increased access to information about reproduction, healthy relationships and gender equality through Health Education and CSE, including 215,242 students in UNFPA’s priority provinces. For young people like Vutha, this hour of education is more than just a class—it's a lifeline. It equips them with the knowledge to make informed decisions, the confidence to communicate openly, and the power to build a healthier and more equitable future for themselves and for Cambodia.
