Group of Zagreb high-school students on May 12, 2009, handed to Secretary of State, Ante Zvonimir Golem some 4.000 postcards with signatures of the young people who demanded opening of youth counselling services on sexual and reproductive health adapted to the needs of youth.

Representatives of the youth group: Leticija Petrović, Davor Nikolić, Tena Čižmešija and Luka Orešković brought boxes with signed postcards and had a meeting with the Secretary of State, together with representatives of CESI and Croatian Youth Network.

Although several national documents, such as National plan of activities for the rights and interests of children 2006 – 2012, National policy for the promotion of gender equality: 2006-2010, National population policy  contain measures which entails the Ministry of  Health and Social Welfare to establish counseling services and family planning and reproductive health centers and to encourage the development of programme  for health education in the field of reproductive health care for children and adolescents, these measures have not yet realized.

As a result, at this meeting the youth have presented their request and the need to resolve the current situation characterized by lack of information on sexuality and lack of support, technical assistance and services created by their needs. In Croatia there is still no sexual education in schools, no counseling and clinics for youth on sexual and reproductive health as well as easily available and inexpensive contraception. Services that are available are inadequate and insufficient for 570 000 of young people living in Croatia.  

Secretary of State welcomed and commended the initiative of youth and promised to, form a working group which will  prepare guidelines for opening of counseling centres before the summer. Is this just an empty promise or a beginning of solving of this issue remains to be seen!

Signatures were collected within the campaign "Dobar savjet zdravlja vrijedi" (GOOD ADVICE IS WORTH THE HEALTH) launched by the CESI and Croatian Youth Network (CYN) and is aimed at protection of sexual and reproductive health. The campaign was opened by action "Sex na ex" (SEX NOW!) in December 2008 when the   signing of postcards with demand to open youth counseling centers and clinics for sexual and reproductive health matching the  needs of youth begun together with distribution of promotional material of the campaign in front of the Classical Gymnasium in Zagreb. Designing of the campaign involved a group of Zagreb high school students and its goal was to draw attention to the fact that young people need information and advice on sexuality and youth friendly counseling and clinics services on sexual and reproductive health.