A study on the factors and habits affecting sexual and reproductive health in Latvia
Aim
Description
Research tasks
- Organise and conduct a survey of the Latvian population, data entry and analysis;
- Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of national policies implemented in 2011–2018 on sexual and reproductive health and its indicators;
- Assess the dynamics of habits to maintain good health in the population –self-assessment of health, healthcare habits, disease prevention and the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections;
- Evaluate knowledge of and attitudes towards selecting family planning methods;
- Evaluate sexual and reproductive health in the context of partnerships by analysing cohabitation trends, reproductive choices, sex life trends and violence in relationships;
- Assess the population’s attitudes and choices regarding care during pregnancy and childbirth;
- Evaluate trends and needs for sexual and reproductive education;
- Understand the role of various sources of information in providing information to people of different age groups;
- Evaluate the sexual and reproductive health needs of different genders and age groups.
About the study
What is sexual and reproductive health
Reproductive health is the complete physical, mental and social well-being in relation to the reproductive system, its functions and processes. Reproductive health means the ability for people to have responsible, fulfilling and safe sex lives, for people to be able to have offspring and the ability to choose whether, when and how often to have them. This concept includes the right of people to be informed and to use a safe, effective, accessible and acceptable birth control method of their choice, as well as to receive appropriate healthcare services that ensures safe pregnancies and childbirth and give couples the best chance of having a healthy child.
Sexual health is defined as a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality. It is not just the absence of disease, dysfunction or inability. Sexual health means a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relations, as well as the opportunity to experience enjoyable and safe sexuality free from coercion, discrimination and violence. In order to ensure and preserve sexual health, the sexual rights of each person need to be respected, protected and observed.
Sexual and reproductive health is an important part of both individuals’ personal lives and the well-being and development of society as a whole.
Significance of the research
Unfortunately, the current situation in Latvia is not the best: maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the European Union, the knowledge of contraceptives and their use is incomplete, the number of newly diagnosed HIV cases is the highest in the European Economic Area and the coverage of organised cervical cancer screenings still remains low. This emphasises the importance of sexual and reproductive health research, the need to identify problems and develop potential solutions.
History
This is the fourth study on Sexual and Reproductive Health conducted in Latvia. The first such study was carried out in Latvia in 1997, the second in 2003 and the third in 2011. The aim of the fourth stage of the study is to find out the trends of changes in the state of sexual and reproductive health and the factors affecting them among the population of Latvia aged 15-64. Based on the obtained results, the current situation in Latvia will be assessed and the effectiveness of national policies in the field of sexual and reproductive health implemented in 2011-2018 will be assessed. Areas that need more attention in the process of the development of future health policies will be identified.
Reports from previous studies
| Report from 1998 (in English) |
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| Report from 2003 (in Latvian) |
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| Report from 2011 (in Latvian) |
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Design, selection and tools
The design of the study is a quantitative, cross-sectional study or a survey with a representative selection of the population stratified by gender and age (at least 1915 men and 1916 women aged 15 to 64 will be surveyed). The research tool is an appropriately designed self-completion questionnaire. It includes comprehensive questions about sex life and lifestyle, as well as about family, health care and the knowledge of sexual and reproductive health issues. The questionnaire includes blocks of validated questions and it is designed so that the obtained results can be compared with the data from the previous stages of the study.
Funding
The fourth stage of the study is carried out within the procurement project “Study on factors and habits affecting the sexual and reproductive health of the population in Latvia” (Id. No. VM 2019/18/ESF) of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Latvia, which is one of the activities of the ESF project “Complex Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Measures” (identification No. 9.2.4.1/16/I/001).
