Frequently Asked Questions

In 2025, sexual health advocacy in Europe embraces a rights-based framework called Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). This approach champions empowerment, inclusivity, and human rights, especially for youth and marginalized groups. Sexual health now includes identity, relationships, consent, and pleasure, expanding beyond reproductive biology. Advocacy involves influencing public opinion, policies, and funding to ensure access to information and services. The "Rights, Respect, Responsibility®" (3Rs) framework highlights young people's rights, respect for their development, and responsible decision-making. Advocates also use economic and security arguments to strengthen support, focusing on implementing and funding existing policies effectively.

Peer engagement is vital for youth sexual health in Europe because peers are trusted messengers who share relatable experiences and language. This unique connection makes health messages more impactful than those from adults. Peer educators bridge gaps for marginalized communities, linking them to essential services like HIV prevention and harm reduction. Evidence shows peer involvement leads to reduced HIV rates and healthier behaviors. Beyond health outcomes, peer education builds self-esteem, communication skills, and leadership among young people, creating a ripple effect of empowerment and community health.

In 2025, effective peer engagement thrives on a blend of in-person and digital strategies. Interactive face-to-face training builds practical skills and confidence among peer educators, complemented by ongoing coaching. Digital platforms add scalability and anonymity, fostering open discussions on sensitive topics. A standout innovation is the "Peer Digital Navigator," empowering peers with media literacy to combat misinformation and navigate online spaces safely. These programs strike a balance between youth empowerment and essential oversight, ensuring safety, funding, and accountability while amplifying youth leadership.

The 2025 data from the ECDC reveals a troubling rise in STIs like gonorrhoea, syphilis, and chlamydia across Europe. Advocacy and peer engagement efforts have swiftly adapted, focusing on prevention, testing, and treatment. Campaigns emphasize consistent condom use and routine STI testing, especially for those with multiple partners. Peer educators play a key role in destigmatizing STIs and promoting testing as a routine act of self-care. This crisis also highlights the need to strengthen Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in gonorrhoea, reframing sexual health as a national health priority.

"Anti-gender" movements represent a coordinated transnational threat to SRHR in Europe. Their core tactic is to frame "gender" as a dangerous "ideology" that threatens the "natural order" of the traditional family. They specifically target abortion access, LGBTQ+ rights, and Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). Key tactics include spreading disinformation to create moral panic, forming "opportunistic synergies" with right-wing populist parties to gain political influence, and working to obstruct protective laws and policies. An evidence-based counter-strategy requires multiple actions. First, advocates must reframe the public narrative around positive, shared values of health, safety, and human rights. Second, they must build broad coalitions with democracy, human rights, and anti-disinformation groups to expose the anti-gender movement's wider anti-democratic agenda. Third, and most critically, peer educators must be trained in media literacy to act as "truth tellers" at the grassroots level, equipping their communities to identify and resist harmful propaganda. References https://rm.coe.int/follow-up-report-on-the-2017-ip-on-srhr-sexual-and-reproductice-health/1680aea9b4 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254096091_Peer_sexual_health_education_Interventions_for_effective_programme_evaluation https://www.emjreviews.com/microbiology-infectious-diseases/news/sti-surge-in-europe-sparks-public-health-concern/ https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/sti-cases-continue-rise-across-europe https://academic.oup.com/sp/advance-article/doi/10.1093/sp/jxaf015/8097952 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7887896/ https://www.securitywomen.org/post/the-impact-of-anti-genderism-on-the-women-peace-and-security-agenda-in-central-and-eastern-europe https://academic.oup.com/sp/advance-article/doi/10.1093/sp/jxaf015/8097952 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26410397.2019.1610281

Advocates can strategically advance SRHR by aligning their work with the European Union's post-2025 policy frameworks. The new "Roadmap for Women's Rights," published in March 2025, offers key entry points through its principles of freedom from violence, the right to the highest standards of health, and quality education. These principles provide a strong basis for demanding comprehensive SRHR services and education as fundamental rights. Another key strategy is to integrate SRHR into the agenda for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), arguing that UHC cannot be achieved without including essential services like family planning and STI prevention. However, success requires navigating a politically contested environment. The rise of anti-gender movements poses a constant threat of regression. Effective advocacy therefore involves not only aligning with supportive policies but also building broad coalitions, using accountability mechanisms like the European Parliament, and leveraging data from public health crises to create a sense of urgency. References https://rm.coe.int/follow-up-report-on-the-2017-ip-on-srhr-sexual-and-reproductice-health/1680aea9b478 https://www.ifpa.ie/sites/default/files/compendium_on_young_peoples_sexual_and_reproductive_health_and_rights_policies_in_europe.pdf https://www.who.int/europe/health-topics/sexual-health https://www.emjreviews.com/microbiology-infectious-diseases/news/sti-surge-in-europe-sparks-public-health-concern/ https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/sti-cases-continue-rise-across-europe https://academic.oup.com/sp/advance-article/doi/10.1093/sp/jxaf015/8097952 https://www.who.int/europe/health-topics/sexual-health https://correlation-net.org/project/community-response-to-end-inequalities-core/ https://reproductiverights.org/policy-brief-srhr-eu/

AI and digital health apps are reshaping sexual health by offering new ways to access information, but they also introduce significant risks. AI-powered tools can provide confidential answers and bridge gaps in health services. However, the rising popularity of fertility-tracking apps has been linked to an increase in unintended pregnancies, and there are major concerns across all digital health platforms regarding data privacy, the spread of misinformation, and algorithmic bias that could perpetuate health inequalities. The key advocacy priorities for 2025 are to establish strong regulatory frameworks to protect user data and ensure transparency. There is also a critical need to promote digital and health literacy, empowering users to critically evaluate the information and tools they use. Finally, advocacy must ensure that these technologies are developed and deployed ethically and equitably, complementing rather than replacing traditional healthcare services to avoid deepening the digital divide. References https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/adolescents-and-reproductive-health https://www.jmir.org/2020/11/e18650/20 https://www.epfweb.org/node/1123 https://www.brook.org.uk/shw/

According to WHO European standards, Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is a holistic, scientifically accurate, and age-appropriate curriculum grounded in human rights and gender equality. It moves beyond biology to cover the cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality, with topics introduced incrementally from a young age. Evidence shows that high-quality CSE leads to positive health outcomes, including delayed sexual debut and increased safer sex practices, without hastening sexual activity. The primary barrier to its universal implementation is political opposition from "anti-gender" movements, which spread harmful disinformation, wrongfully describing CSE as abusive or inappropriate. This creates a hostile political environment that hinders progress. Additional logistical barriers include the lack of mandatory CSE policies in many countries, insufficient time in the curriculum, and a widespread lack of adequate training and support for the teachers tasked with delivering this sensitive material. References https://rm.coe.int/follow-up-report-on-the-2017-ip-on-srhr-sexual-and-reproductice-health/1680aea9b4 https://www.who.int/europe/health-topics/sexual-health153738 https://www.comprehensivesexualityeducation.org/cse-materials-index/who-european-standards/ https://whocc.bioeg.de/en/sexuality-education-in-europe/

In Europe's digital landscape, trusted sexual health information comes from vetted sources like the WHO, IPPF, school-based CSE programs, and youth-friendly clinics. However, the internet's anonymity often exposes young people to unreliable content. Peer educators, as "digital navigators," play a crucial role in enhancing digital literacy. They teach peers to evaluate online sources, debunk misinformation, ensure digital safety, and share trusted resources, empowering communities to access accurate and safe information.

Several European programs serve as models of excellence in sexual health. France's "Service Sanitaire" (SeSa) is a large-scale, mandatory program where healthcare students act as peer educators for teenagers, a model proven to significantly increase SRH knowledge for both groups. At a pan-European level, the International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN) and its youth network, YSAFE, excel in networked advocacy and youth governance, empowering young people to lead and shape SRHR initiatives. In the HIV field, community-led networks like the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) and HIV Ireland's peer support program are exemplary models that treat lived experience as a form of expertise and provide essential, empathetic support. Finally, successful school-based interventions, such as Healthy Respect 2 (HR2) in Scotland, demonstrate that multi-session, interactive programs focusing on positive psychosocial skills are highly effective. References https://www.aidsactioneurope.org/ https://europe.ippf.org/about-us https://europe.ippf.org/our-approach/partners/key-partner/ysafe https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9714008/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365943732_Multidisciplinary_peer-led_sexual_and_reproductive_health_education_programme_in_France_a_prospective_controlled-study https://en.europe.ippf.org/youth-centred-approach/ https://europe.ippf.org/our-approach/programmes https://www.eatg.org/ https://www.hivireland.ie/what-we-do/peersupport/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10352496/