Challenges in Monitoring Sexual and Reproductive Health in Latvia

Description

UN Sustainable development goals are directly linked with sexual and reproductive health (SRH). In 2023 the world is half way towards achieving the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and many countries, including Latvia, are evaluating progress and existing gaps in improving SRH. The goal of this study is to summarize existing challenges in regular monitoring of SRH in Latvia.. This study is a part of the project “Study on the factors and habits affecting sexual and reproductive health in Latvia” initiated by the Ministry of Health of Latvia in 2022 – resuming the study interrupted by COVID-19 in 2020. A desk review to evaluate the impact of the national policies implemented in 2011–2018 on SRH was conducted by analyzing the approved regulations and available national statistics. The evaluation was focusing on the legal framework and data related to maternal and perinatal health, fertility regulation and infertility management, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV, reproductive cancers and gender-based violence.. Since 2002 Sexual and Reproductive Health Law has had four amendments. Despite the fact that the Transitional provisions of the Law clearly define that amendments shall come into force on 1 July 2019, some of them are still not implemented. Information on sexuality education and support to women in overcoming unmet needs to contraception including women living with HIV is scattered and difficult to follow. Despite some progress in developing a joint register of the couples requesting state support for infertility management, each of the six centers providing medically assisted reproduction has its own register and there are no joint data on the scale of infertility in Latvia. Main barrier to analysing the situation of STI/HIV incidence in Latvia is data fragmentation.. There has been some progress in SRH policies since 2011, however, coordinated leadership and monitoring of SRH in Latvia is missing.

Period	29 Mar 2023
Event title	RSU Research week 2023: Society. Health. Welfare
Event type	Conference
Conference number	9
Organiser	Rīga Stradiņš University
Location	Riga, LatviaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International