Promotion of adolescent reproductive health in Serbia
G. Rajin, K. Sedlecki, M. Radojevic
Department Republic Centre for Family Planning, Mother and Child Health
Care Institute of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
In Serbia, reproductive health (RH) among adolescents is marked by high rates
of pregnancy, abortion (50 per 1000 females under 20) and sexually transmissible
infections (STIs). To lower these numbers, the Mother and Child Health Care
Institute of Serbia, its department known as the Republic Centre for Family
Planning (RCFP), initiated the Promotion of Adolescent Reproductive Health
Project in February 1999. Despite the highly unfavourable conditions for any
health initiative then, RCFP managed to introduce a new youth-friendly approach
that features counselling services for young people in a variety of community
settings. Its mission is to improve adolescent reproductive health and the
community services that support it. Specifically, the project aims to: increase
adolescent knowledge of sexuality, RH and safe-sex practices; improve young
people’s attitudes toward sexuality and RH, and their skills in dealing with
related issues; improve detection and treatment of RH problems; consolidate
health partnerships among different areas of society and government; encourage
participation of local teachers, health workers and peer educators and develop
community awareness of adolescent needs and support for youth-friendly RH
services. Counselling Service for Young People covers current preventive and
curative health measures, as well as up-to-date educational and promotional
activities. RH counselling service should include: adolescent health education;
individual counselling from a psychologist, a specialist in preventive medicine,
a paediatrician and a gynaecologist, and diagnosis and treatment of RH disorders
in both sexes. Up to now we have been establishing 36 RH counselling centres in
primary health care.
