Report presentation in the European Parliament.

"Sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents in Central and Eastern Europe and Balkan countries" report was carried out by the ASTRA Youth network as a joint initiative and presented in January in the European Parliament. The report covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Macedonia, Poland, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Each country report was prepared in cooperation with the ASTRA Youth members and also by looking into various sources of information – local and international reports, articles, statistics and by receiving expert opinion and information from ASTRA members. Croatian report was prepared in cooperation with CESI.

This publication presents the situation of youth in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the Balkans regarding reproductive and sexual health. It covers topics such as sex education, STIs and HIV/AIDS, abortion, contraception and youth health care. This report also evaluates official data and legal issues.

Common issues for the CEE and Balkan region have been identified and addressed in this publication. The most burning is the issue of sex education. In none of the countries young people receive reliable and science based sex education in schools. Although there are often many classes which are meant to teach young people some issues regarding reproductive health (for example during biology classes or other "life skills" or "health basics" courses) none of them are entirely devoted to sex education and are usually voluntary. Sometimes even the word "sex" is especially avoided. Often the classes are influenced by ideology and/or religion (in Poland "Preparation for Family Life" classes

are strongly influenced by the Catholic teachings). Various initiatives are however being implemented by Ministries of Health or Education and the NGO sector (i.e. in Croatia, Armenia, Azerbaijan). As the youth is not educated sufficiently on reproductive and sexual health they often turn for information to peers and the media. This often causes misunderstandings and produces myths which can be harming to young people. The access to contraception is generally limited, as the prices create a barrier for many teenagers. Condom, being the most popular contraceptive, can be bought in most cases in a local shop, other contraceptives which can be suitable for young people are not always so easy to be obtained. Coitus interruptus is still very popular, it is often perceived as a family planning method, what is especially alarming. As for abortion, the situation is quite similar in most countries – abortion is permitted on social and medical grounds, usually the parental consent is needed when the girl is under 18 (the Georgian law just changed  this year allowing girls between 14 and 18 to decide on their pregnancies without parental consent and even knowledge). The only country that denies abortion by law is Poland what generates the growth of so-called abortion underground. Illegal abortions are also common in other countries of the region due to financial barriers and stigma. Accurate numbers on teen abortion are unavailable, as there is no persistent monitoring of such cases. This is also true for numbers concerning the STIs and HIV/AIDS among young people. According to UNAIDS Report on the global AIDS

epidemic 2010 estimates the number of people living with HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia has almost tripled since 2000 – almost 1,4 million people are now infected in this region. Annual new infections in Ukraine have more than doubled in the pasts decade. Georgia, Armenia and Kazakhstan experience an increase in new HIV infections.

Due to lack of a reliable methodology that could directly measure the level of new infections as well as the lack of consistent monitoring the numbers are not accurate. The same trend applies to STIs. Moreover, young people are often unaware of their illness and don't seek medical advice hence this also contributes to the vast underreporting. Young people need counseling and information on their reproductive health, which they should receive at youth friendly health centers if not at school. However, there are very few such facilities in all countries of the region. The biggest job is often done by NGOs and their workers and volunteers, who often serve as educators and counsellors.

There are still many gaps to be filled. Universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, especially access to a comprehensive sex education and HIV/AIDS prevention, are essential in making these gaps disappear.

ASTRA is a regional network of NGOs and individuals advocating in a collective voice for sexual and reproductive health and rights in Central and Eastern Europe.

ASTRA works for the advancement of sexual and reproductive health and rights as fundamental human rights and advocates for their observance, prioritization and implementation on the international, regional and national agendas.

ASTRA YOUTH is a group of young activists from the CEE region and Balkan countries. The group consists of young activists (women and men, 18-30 years old) – some of them affiliated with ASTRA members' organizations, others working with various NGOs working in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region and some individuals.