Helping Young People get Access to Quality Information and Services on Reproductive Health

Project name: ARM1R001 : Empowerment of Youth to make choices on SRHR

Budget: 30,000 USD

Timeline: January 2006 - December 2006

What's the situation?

During the Soviet period and following years of Armenia's independence, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education for young people was largely ignored. The main sources of information about sexuality and sexual health matters were peers and magazines. Within the existing public health system there are few youth-friendly health services in Armenia. Young people have limited access to other SRH services, mainly because of the cultural stigma associated with sexuality of adolescents and because of financial constraints. According to the 2002 Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) survey, about 20% of sexually active young males and 56% of sexually active young females have never used contraceptive methods. This puts them at great risk of unwanted pregnancy, abortion, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or HIV, and the associated social and health consequences. Although contraceptives, including condoms, can be purchased in pharmacies, their cost is still prohibitive for many adolescents.

What's our mission?

Our aim is to increase the availability of youth-friendly services; to improve the knowledge and ability of young people to prevent unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS and to help them achieve healthy lifestyles.

How is UNFPA doing this?

The implementation of this project includes the following activities:

• The provision of technical assistance to the Ministries of Education and Science (MOES) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) for developing health education and a Family Life curriculum for secondary and tertiary educational institutions

• Support for out-of-school activities aimed at encouraging healthy lifestyles

• Up-scaling introduction of youth-friendly protocols (the guidelines for health providers to adjust their services)

• Establishing, on a pilot basis, youth-friendly centres operated by the MOH, non-governmental organizations, universities and the army

In addition, UNFPA is continuing its support to peer education programmes. It focuses on the expansion of peer education outreach by core groups of peer educators who have been trained during a previous cycle of assistance. UNFPA is also supporting the creation and operation of youth-peer networks, sharing knowledge among peer educators and programme managers both within Armenia as well in wider regional peer education networks.

UNFPA also continues its support to expand the ongoing pilot project for youth-friendly services, investigating the most effective model for such services in terms of their location, management, the range of services provided, accessibility, confidentiality, and their ability to ensure the rights of young clients. All these activities are carried out in accordance with the Law on Reproductive Health (RH) and Reproductive Rights (RR) which spells out the rights of young people in accessing SRH information, education and friendly services.

Who are our partners?

In the course of the programme implementation UNFPA has partnerships with a broad range of the government institutions, UN Agencies, and NGOs as well as academic, health, educational and social support institutions.

How will Armenia benefit?

The formal and peer education activities will be complemented with the promotion of condom use and access to reliable and affordable condoms to prevent unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. There will also be improved access to youth friendly services to help achieve healthy lifestyles. The support for the creation and operation of youth peer networks will increase the sharing of knowledge among young people.

Project Documents:

Contact Details:

Mr. Garik Hayrapetyan
UNFPA Assistant Representative
garik@unfpa.am

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