The European Commission funded project, “Sexual Awareness for Europe (SAFE): A European Partnership to promote the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of young people”, was a partnership between the International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF-EN), the Lund University (Sweden), the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA).
The goal was to involve youth advocates and groups in developing new and innovative ways to reach their peers with information and services on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Closing conference
The two-days closure conference was entitled “Sexual Awareness for Europe” and gathered together representatives from the 26 different countries that have taken part in the project. Speakers included Robert Madelin Director General for Health and Consumer Protection; Gill Greer, Director General of IPPF; V. Claeys, Regional Director, IPPF European Network; J. Liljestrand, Dept of Community Medicine, Lund University; G. Lazdane, Regional Adviser, Reproductive Health and Research, WHO Regional Office for Europe.
Among the different issues discussed in the conference were:
Sexual health education as a compulsory subject in school curricula
Improving services for young people
Giving more information to young people in appropriate and accessible language
The participants also discussed what to do next after the SAFE project ended. Ideas put forward were:
An interactive online community
More networking conferences
e-Learning events
Involving other NGO’s
The conference saw the launch of a Guide for Developing Policies on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Young People in Europe developed by members of the SAFE project partnership (IPPF, WHO and Lund University). This guide aims to be the reference for policy makers and governments in the improvement of policies and programmes dealing with sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of young people in Europe.
In addiction, a policy brief entitled"Developing Policies on the SRHR of Young People in Europe" was published with the main recommendations from the Guide. To accompany these materials, four factsheets were produced:
Encouraging youth participation and respecting diversity (08/10/07)
Sexuality education in schools (08/10/07)
Sexuality information, education and communication (08/10/07)
Comprehensive youth-friendly services (08/10/07)
The conference was accompanied by a photo exhibition to showcase the winners of the SAFE project competition for student graphic designers, photographers, youth volunteers to show their ideas for “safer-sex” messages.
Background
EPHA managed the development of the SAFE project web game, provided communication services and training on media work for youth advocates on sexual health.
This EC supported project resulted from a European Parliamen Resolutions on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Europe, by MEP Anne Van Lancker (Belgium). This emphasised the need to improve the exchange of information and best practices on the issues of unwanted pregnancies and abortion, adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights and sexuality education, and on the development of sexual and reproductive health policies in general.
For further information:
International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF-EN)
SAFE project documents
SAFE project webgame
Lund University
World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
EPHA’s related articles:
The SAFE Project: a European partnership to promote the sexual and reproductive health and rights of youth
