THE Family Planning Association is to launch a two-year programme to promote healthy family life in the hope that it can help stem escalating divorce rates. Chairman of the association, Dr Grace Tang Wai-king, said the programme targeted not only couples, but also young people. ''It is important to start on the young people whose level of knowledge on sex and views on love could affect their future marriage,'' Dr Tang said. She hoped the programme could help lower the soaring divorce rates in Hong Kong. There was one divorce for every eight marriages in 1992. The courts approved 5,650 divorces in 1992, but the figure soared to 7,454 last year and early figures for this year suggest the rate will be even higher. Dr Tang said the increasing divorce rate in recent years was partly related to people's changing views of marriage. She said there was also an increasing number of smaller families with both parents having to work, which could lead to problems when children did not get enough attention. It was important for couples to have a thorough understanding and to plan before getting married and having children. She said about 20,000 people attended pre-marital clinics each year, representing 25 per cent of people getting married. Several clients did not know how to perform sex while some asked about methods of contraception, Dr Tang said. Most people wanted to check whether they could have children. The $200,000 programme, which stresses a ''healthy, happy and harmonious'' family will kick off with a radio show next week, which will be followed by an essay competition for young people, and a public discussion forum.