During the pandemic, young people faced largely limited access to information and services on sexual and reproductive health and rights from competent institutions
On 24 June, 2022, HERA held a Conference at which it shared the Research on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people in Macedonia, conducted by and among young people from five Balkan countries, within the framework of the project Youth Voices, Youth Choices. The Research documents the needs and experiences of young people when seeking and using information and services for sexual and reproductive health, but also the attitudes and needs of the providers of these services and other relevant stakeholders.
The Research showed that young people faced serious difficulties in accessing information and services related to sexual and reproductive health during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to an increased sense of insecurity among them. The information, as they stated, was inaccessible, due to the overwhelming volume of information about COVID-19, or the fact that there was a lack of national websites that are relevant and can be trusted. There was a particularly significant need among young people for access to information on scheduling a gynaecological examination or obtaining consultations, which were more difficult to receive during the pandemic. The feeling of fear and anxiety among young mothers due to the lack of information about COVID-19 affected their health security on several levels – such as when to go to the doctor and schedule an examination or telephone consultation due to their unavailability, but also where to get relevant information about how COVID-19 and the vaccine against the virus affect the development of the foetus, but also on babies who are breastfed.
With regard to young Roma, the challenges that existed even before the pandemic deepened due to the existing and continuous discrimination, but also due to the high number of Roma without health insurance who practically had no access to services during the pandemic. For them, not having a computer or any digital device additionally aggravated the access to information about sexual and reproductive health. They partially overcame this situation thanks to field activities and services provided by non-governmental organisations. Suda Dehari, a member of the youth group formed within the framework of the project, in her presentation as a panellist at the conference, emphasized that ‘The fact is that for us Roma, the key problem is education and access to the Internet, or more precisely, access to digitalization. The Roma, particularly in rural areas, really face difficulties, i.e. lack of information, lack of access to the Internet, lack of digital literacy’.
LGBTI youth were most in need of psycho-social counselling and mental healthcare due to the fact that the existing social stigma, mistrust in the institutions of the system, discrimination by health workers, was only amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed to greater social isolation and anxiety among these young people. Daniel Prodanov, a member of the youth group formed within the project, in his presentation as a panellist at the conference, emphasized that ‘Due to the isolation and curfews that were introduced as preventive measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, young LGBT people were forced to return to their homes and spend their days there in isolation. A large number were isolated from their peers and were under the same roof with parents who do not accept them as members of this marginalized community’.
Lastly, violence has increased during the pandemic, particularly felt by LGBTI people and Roma. In general, there is dissatisfaction among young people with the response by institutions of the system for solving cases of gender and sexually-based violence, especially for suppressing the violence that largely occurs on social media against girls. Martina Pavlovich, a member of the youth group formed within the project, said in her presentation as a panellist at the conference that ‘Absolutely, conservatism in the society increases violence, because if you report that your neighbour is mistreating his wife, there are huge chances that you will be the culprit in the end. Since they ask the woman in front of the abuser if she were the victim and naturally, unprotected, no victim will confess. And then you pay a penalty for false reporting. That is the root of the problem, we do not discuss what is happening in front of our eyes’.
In conclusion, the Research clearly pointed that sexual and reproductive health and rights are essential to a young person’s mental and physical wellbeing. At the same time, the key is the continuous provision of quality and accessible sexuality education, information and friendly care for the sexual and reproductive health for all young people before, during and after every crisis. The youth group established within the project in the coming period will advocate for government institutions to improve access to information and services for sexual and reproductive health.
