UNIVERSITY OF TARTU RESEARCHERS STUDY SEXUAL HEALTH AMONG ESTONIA’S WOMEN
11.02.2008
The study included 2672 women whose mother tongue was either Estonian or Russian in the age group of 16-44. It provides an idea of how women in Estonia describe and evaluate their sexual and reproductive behaviour, sexual satisfaction, what attitudes they have to sexuality and what their reproductive intentions are. For the first time, researchers focussed on women’s experiences and preferences in relation to pregnancy, infertility, contraceptive advice and the first visit to a gynaecologist.
According to the gynaecologist Kai Part, one of the researchers who conducted the study, the respondents tended to be more satisfied with contraceptive advice and less so with infertility-related services. “Most of the participants preferred to be advised by the doctors in the women’s counselling centre, while many younger women favor youth counselling centres. Russian-speaking women tended to be less satisfied with the services than Estonian speakers,” Part said.
Kai Part also added that the study shows a definite positive trend in the sexual health indicators of younger women. "They have been better informed about sexual health issues at home and in school, they are using contraceptives more and—I am pleased to note—most of them have on the whole a positive memory of their first visit to a gynaecologist," Part summed up.
The study also shows that young women are more inclined to use condoms and other reliable means of contraception and that this is probably related to improvements in sex education at school and the range of counselling services available. However, close to 50% of the respondents still considered sex education at school insufficient. A third of the respondents whose mother tongue is Russian said they had not received any sex education at all.
Approximately a quarter of the participants have been exposed to violence during the last year, a fifth of them have experienced sexual violence. Nearly a quarter of the women participating in the study reported having received proposals to consent to sex in return for money or other consideration of economic value.
The study shows that women’s plans for having children are chiefly related to considerations of personal nature or those concerning the relationship with their partner. To a certain extent, economic considerations also play a role. Women are more open to having children when they have economic security, when they are able to successfully mix work and family life, and have access to childcare services. Only 1.5% of the thousand women who provided a response to the relevant question cited Estonia’s near-critical population figures as the reason for choosing to have their next child.
The study was carried out in cooperation between the UT Women’s Clinic, Estonia’s National Health Development Institute and Finland’s National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES).
Additional information: Dr. Kai Part, junior doctor and teaching staff member at UT Women’s Clinic, phone +372 5668 0778, kai [dot] part [ät] kliinikum [dot] ee
Anneli Maaring
UT Press Representative
phone +372 737 5683; +372 515 0184
anneli [dot] maaring [ät] ut [dot] ee
/64160
According to the gynaecologist Kai Part, one of the researchers who conducted the study, the respondents tended to be more satisfied with contraceptive advice and less so with infertility-related services. “Most of the participants preferred to be advised by the doctors in the women’s counselling centre, while many younger women favor youth counselling centres. Russian-speaking women tended to be less satisfied with the services than Estonian speakers,” Part said.
Kai Part also added that the study shows a definite positive trend in the sexual health indicators of younger women. "They have been better informed about sexual health issues at home and in school, they are using contraceptives more and—I am pleased to note—most of them have on the whole a positive memory of their first visit to a gynaecologist," Part summed up.
The study also shows that young women are more inclined to use condoms and other reliable means of contraception and that this is probably related to improvements in sex education at school and the range of counselling services available. However, close to 50% of the respondents still considered sex education at school insufficient. A third of the respondents whose mother tongue is Russian said they had not received any sex education at all.
Approximately a quarter of the participants have been exposed to violence during the last year, a fifth of them have experienced sexual violence. Nearly a quarter of the women participating in the study reported having received proposals to consent to sex in return for money or other consideration of economic value.
The study shows that women’s plans for having children are chiefly related to considerations of personal nature or those concerning the relationship with their partner. To a certain extent, economic considerations also play a role. Women are more open to having children when they have economic security, when they are able to successfully mix work and family life, and have access to childcare services. Only 1.5% of the thousand women who provided a response to the relevant question cited Estonia’s near-critical population figures as the reason for choosing to have their next child.
The study was carried out in cooperation between the UT Women’s Clinic, Estonia’s National Health Development Institute and Finland’s National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES).
Additional information: Dr. Kai Part, junior doctor and teaching staff member at UT Women’s Clinic, phone +372 5668 0778, kai [dot] part [ät] kliinikum [dot] ee
Anneli Maaring
UT Press Representative
phone +372 737 5683; +372 515 0184
anneli [dot] maaring [ät] ut [dot] ee
/64160