A health needs assessment of young people's sexual health was carried out using rapid participatoiy appraisal (RPA). A technique new to participatory needs assessment, meta-planning, was used. for the appraisal. This paper pre sents the evaluation of meta-planning as a technique for RPA in the area of young people's sexual health. Meta-planning compared favourably with other techniques, focus groups and individual interviews, used in RPA. It was efficient, rapid and feasible for young, people to use. This meant that data could be. collected from young people by their peers. Similarity between areas of need idendned by workers and young people in this appraisal, and between these results and other published literature suggests that the results are valid. It is concluded that meta-planning could be used for rapid participatory appraisal of young people's sexual health.