SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND YOUTH RIGHTS IN UKRAINE: UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITIES SUPPORT YOUTH DURING AND AFTER THE WAR TOGETHER WITH DALARNA UNIVERSITY, SWEDEN

As a part of a two-year project funded by the Swedish Institute (#FundedbySI, @BalticSea_SI), three leading Ukrainian universities (Odesa National Medical University, Ivan Franko Lviv National University, Lviv Polytechnic National University) in cooperation with the University of Dalarna (Sweden) were tasked to implement sustainable measures to include issues of sexual and reproductive health of young people and teenagers in the curricula of higher education institutions of Ukraine. This initiative is aimed at long-term support of youth in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian universities involved in the project will play a leading role in integrating the topic of sexual and reproductive health into their courses and curricula starting from 2025 under the guidance of the University of Dalarna.

In April 2024, the online course “Sexual and reproductive health and rights of youth in Ukraine during wartime” (7.5 credits) was launched for teachers and students of Odesa National Medical University, led by the University of Dalarna, Sweden. Also, in the period from August 19 to 23, 2024, a five-day educational tour to Sweden was organized as a part of the project. The teachers of Odesa National Medical University took part in the event. During the visit, they had the opportunity to visit the Red Cross Center in Uppsala, which provides assistance to children and adults who have survived torture, war and displacement, the National Center against Male Violence against Women at Uppsala University and Hospital, which works to raise awareness of violence. The teachers also visited  “MIKA” Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic, the emergency department for rape victims, obstetrics and youth clinics, and the Stockholm Clinic for Men. The week ended with a visit to the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU) in Stockholm, where participants learned about methods of teaching topics related to sexual and reproductive health.

The purpose of these educational visits is to give university teachers the opportunity to reflect on the norms and ideas related to sexual and reproductive health, the possibilities of implementing courses and disciplines related to this topic in higher education, and the specific needs of young people that inevitably arise during the war. The project provides an opportunity to introduce innovative approaches to higher medical education in Ukraine. In the future, this should become a solid foundation that will ensure sustainable development, allow doctors, psychologists, sociologists and social workers to strengthen the understanding of sexual and reproductive health among young people in Ukraine, in particular, among those affected by the war.

The project is financed by the Swedish Institute. #FundedbySI, @BalticSea_SI.

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