Circular No. 33/2017/TT-BYT stipulates on counseling and supporting children to care for reproductive health appropriate to their age.

CIRCULAR

Regulations on counseling and supporting children to care for reproductive health appropriate to their age

Pursuant to the Law on Children 2016;

Pursuant to the Government's Decree No. 75/2017/NĐ-CP dated June 20, 2017 stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health;

Appendix 02 attached to this Circular.

The Minister of Health issues this Circular on regulations regarding counseling and supporting children to care for reproductive health appropriate to their age.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability.

1. This Circular stipulates principles and requirements for counseling and supporting children to care for reproductive health appropriate to their age.

2. This Circular applies to:

a) Children from 0 to under 16 years old; parents or guardians of children;

b) Counseling and support facilities for children's reproductive health care (hereinafter referred to collectively as counseling and support facilities), including: pediatric and obstetric-gynecological hospitals; reproductive health centers; HIV/AIDS prevention centers; district/county health centers; HIV counseling, testing, and treatment centers; vaccination centers; commune/ward/town health stations; school health services; and other facilities providing child reproductive health counseling services as prescribed by law;

c) Agencies, organizations, and individuals related to counseling and supporting children's reproductive health care as prescribed by law.

Article 2. Principles and Requirements in Counseling and Supporting Children to Care for Reproductive Health Appropriate to Their Age

1. Principles in Counseling and Support:

a) Respect, share, and empathize with children;

b) Be appropriate to the age, psychological and physiological characteristics, and health status of children;

c) Be appropriate to the capacity and conditions of counseling and support facilities.

2. Requirements in Counseling and Support:

a) Counselors and supporters must meet the professional requirements and practice conditions as prescribed by law and be trained in child-friendly service provision;

b) When counseling and supporting, ensure friendliness, confidentiality, privacy, and sharing; use language suitable for the age and understanding of children;

c) Provide direct counseling to children at appropriate ages or to parents or guardians;

d) Explain to children, parents, or guardians about the purpose, significance, and examination procedures when necessary for children's examinations.

3. Requirements for Counseling and Support Facilities:

a) Have private and discreet counseling and examination areas;

b) Have sufficient staff as prescribed in point a, Clause 2, Article 2 of this Circular;

c) Have mechanisms for collaboration and referral between different counseling and support facilities within the same area or among relevant specialized intervention fields.

Article 3. Counseling Children to Care for Reproductive Health Appropriate to Their Age

Depending on the age and health condition of children, provide counseling to children, parents, or guardians according to the National Guidelines on Reproductive Health Services issued pursuant to Decision No. 4128/QD-BYT dated July 29, 2016 of the Minister of Health and the following contents:

1. For children aged 0-6 years: counseling on how to care for and clean the genital organs of children; preventing child abuse and sexual exploitation; sex education for children; abnormalities in the genital organs.

2. For children aged 7-13 years: counseling on the contents prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article and additional counseling on physical and psychological changes according to age; gender; sexual orientation. Pay attention to the following contents:

a) For girls: counseling on normal menstruation and menstrual disorders, hygiene during menstruation, ovulation, and pregnancy, masturbation;

b) For boys: counseling on ejaculation, first ejaculation; phimosis, penis hygiene, masturbation.

3. For children aged 14-16 years: counseling children on the contents prescribed in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article and the following contents: preventing gynecological and urological diseases; preventing unintended pregnancies; appropriate contraception methods; preventing sexually transmitted diseases; safe sex; life skills such as negotiation skills, refusal skills, self-esteem determination skills.

4. For children who come to medical facilities for treatment:

a) Provide information and counseling on the current health status of children, treatment and preventive measures;

b) Counsel children on reproductive health care according to the contents prescribed in Clauses 1, 2, and 3 of this Article;

c) Counsel on abnormalities in the reproductive organs.

Article 4. Support for children in reproductive health care appropriate to their age

1. Develop and provide information materials, education, and communication on reproductive health care appropriate to the age of children, ensuring that children have access to counseling and support facilities.

2. Provide counseling, medical examination, treatment, and reproductive health care services for children according to their age, in accordance with the conditions and scope of professional activities of the counseling and support facilities.

3. Assist and provide information to children about other necessary contents suitable to their capabilities and conditions of the counseling and support facilities when they have needs; refer children to appropriate facilities such as victim support centers for violence and sexual abuse; counseling and treatment centers for psychological and mental issues; information provision, counseling, and support service centers for children in other fields such as: law, psychology, marriage and family.

4. Waive or reduce counseling and treatment fees for children in accordance with legal regulations.

Article 5. Counseling and support procedures for children's reproductive health care appropriate to their age

Counseling and support for children's reproductive health care appropriate to their age shall be carried out in accordance with the National Guidelines on Reproductive Health Services issued together with Decision No. 4128/QD-BYT dated July 29, 2016 of the Minister of Health.

Article 6. Implementation Provisions

1. This Circular takes effect from October 1, 2017.

2. In cases where the referenced documents in this Circular are replaced or amended, the replaced, amended, or supplemented documents shall apply.

3. Responsibility for implementation:

a) The Director of the Department of Maternal and Child Health shall be responsible for leading and coordinating with relevant agencies to guide, inspect, and supervise counseling and support facilities, medical examination, and treatment facilities regarding children's reproductive health care; compile the implementation situation of this Circular annually and report to the Minister of Health.

b) The Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management; the Director of the Preventive Medicine Department; the Director of the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Department; the heads of units under the Ministry of Health; the Directors of hospitals under ministries and sectors; the Directors of Health Departments of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall be responsible for implementing this Circular.

c) The Directors of Health Departments of provinces and centrally-administered cities, and Health Departments of ministries and sectors shall be responsible for directing local and sectoral counseling and support facilities, medical examination, and treatment facilities to comply with the provisions of this Circular.

During the implementation process, if there are difficulties or obstacles, it is requested that agencies, organizations, and individuals promptly reflect them to the Ministry of Health (Department of Maternal and Child Health) for consideration and resolution./.