The STI Trap – Lithuania (LiMSA)

Name of the activity: The STI Trap

Country/NMO: Lithuania (LiMSA)

Program: HIV/AIDS & Other STIs

Type of the activity: Campaign

General description:

The campaign consists of an organisation of workshops on the topics of STIs and Contraception which will consist of lectures by well-known Lithuanian dermatovenerologists and gynaecologists and workshops facilitated by LiMSA trainers, as well as a meeting with Lithuania‘s Minister of Health is scheduled together with another NGO in order to start a discussion while presenting the data about contraceptives availability collected from European NORAs. NPET concentrating on STIs and sexuality education trainings at schools will be organised in order to reach younger audiences. Additional information on contraceptives will be provided on LiMSA official page.

Focus area:

Prevention of all STIs or are specific STIs, Raising awareness among the general public about STIs, STI education or training for future health-care professions, STIs and HIV/AIDS political advocacy

Problem statement:

According to official EU statistics, Lithuania ranks exceptionally low in the score of contraception availability among EU countries. This spring a new law prohibiting sales of condoms in places other than pharmacies and sex shops has been initiated.Contraception is used less often when compared with other EU countries due to lack of information, reimbursements and availability on contraceptives. The youth lacks understanding of reproductive health which is the main reason STIs are still a relevant problem in Lithuania, especially HIV that has been on the rise for the past year.

Target groups and beneficiaries:

Local level – high school students; medical students and young men and women of reproductive age (aged 18 – 29);
National level – Lithuanian society.

Objectives and indicators of success:

To participate in a meeting with Lithuania‘s Minister of Health in order to discuss possible contraceptives compensation solutions together other NGO (goal – to start a discussion on the implementation on contraceptives compensation on national level);
To perform an international research in collaboration in with European NORAs in order to evaluate and compare the price of contraceptives of Lithuania and other countries (goal – at least 12 responses);
To organise 3 events consisting of lectures by doctors and of 3 workshops facilitated by trained SCORA members (attendance goal – 150);
To organise national peer education training with focus on STIs; to facilitate sexuality education training sessions to high school students (goal – 120 students);
To provide the information including lectures on LiMSA Facebook and website pages (goal – 1500 views).

Methodology:

1) The organisation of the conference – selection of OC; the future tasks consist of contacting the lecturers, preparing the venue and workshops, search for possible grants;
2) NORA contacted the other European NORAs with assistance of RAs and prepared a survey on the contraceptives prices; the results will be analysed and compared; a statement was prepared to be presented to the Lithuania‘s Minister of Health in collaboration with other NGOs;
3) SCORA OC prepared an NPET with experienced trainers; sexuality education officer contacted the high schools with the possiblity to facilitate a training on STIs and contraceptino;
4) PR group will work on the content posted on NMO‘s page.

Plans for evaluation:

Participants will be asked to fill out an online form after the event in which every lecture and workshop shall be evaluated (information provided, facilitation, relevance and other factors shall be included). We will also record the number of people that participated in the NPET and the reach of online information on LiMSA official page as well as Facebook account. The European NORA research will be considered successful if at least 12 responses are received.