The Latvian Association for Family Planning & Sexual Health (LAFPSH) focuses on information, education, and training activities for health personnel and the general public, and sex education for teachers and young people.

The LAFPSH Youth Group, 'Papardes Zieds' runs:

• a safer sex campaign in co-operation with the media
• an advice section in a youth magazine
• a telephone helpline run by young people for young people (young people trained as volunteers and as helpline workers)

They work with a newspaper for young people answering problems regarding puberty, friends and other relationships, contraceptives and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

We aim to continue our work with young people, issue new brochures, give seminars and hold conferences on Sexual Violence. 

LAFPSH would like to strengthen our influence within the government to achieve our objectives.

A project jointly supported by the Swedish Family Planning Association and the European Commission has provided information material on STIs, condoms and sex education.

The LAFPSH piloted the IPPF Europe Social Marketing project, supported by the UK Overseas Development Agency, selling the COOL GOLD condom and an oral contraceptive brand, which has stimulated more competition in pricing, to the advantage of the consumer.

We are a member of the working group which is drafting the national reproductive health programme.

We gave seminars about contraception and the menopause, and started a new project 'Sexuality and People with Disability,' a theme almost never discussed in Latvian society.

Sex education is not part of the school curriculum, but it is taught in one third of schools. Information, education and communication is provided by the Latvian Family Planinng Association and the Teachers Association. Five hundred teachers sought training in sex education.