The Youth Counselling and Sex Education Unit, University of Zielona Góra was established in 1974, and began to focus on sex education issues in 1985. The university unit is the only one in Poland dealing with these topics. The Department developed a HIV-AIDS Prevention Programme which focuses in particular on women working as prostitutes. Several students are voluntarily involved in the programme. As street workers they deal with prostitutes and victims of trafficking, who work along highways, near the towns, as well as in escort agencies.
The main scope of service comprises of the following types of consultations and examinations
- contraceptive consultations and training on application
- information and education on sexual and reproductive health
- prevention of STI
- sex education and information and testing HIV
- promotion of healthy life styles
- therapy for victims of sexual violence and abuse including family violence.
Address: Energetyków 2, 65 - 279 Zielona Góra, Poland
Telephone: (68) 323 79 47 Tel/Fax: (68) 323 79 43
E-mail: Z. Izdebski @ips. uz. zgora.pl
General Researches:
· Knowledge, social attitudes towards HIV/AIDS in Poland
· Sex education in Poland
· Sexual behaviour in Poland :
a) Sexuality of children and youth
b) Sexual behaviour among sex workers. Harm reduction efforts for sex workers.
c) Sexual behaviour of persons addicted to narcotics
· Trafficking and smuggling in human beings
· Child sexual abuse
· Child prostitution and pornography
· Social perception of condom.
International Cooperation:
1. Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Medicine, Centre for AIDS Intervention Research (CAIR), USA
Subject matter: HIV prevention based on community, evaluation of HIV prevention interventions
Results: implementation international research - Project GAIN ?Development, conduct and evaluation of HIV prevention interventions with a special focused on community-level programs. (2002 ? 2007); participation in European Regional Meeting, Amsterdam (2002)
2. Deutsche Gelsellschaft fur Geschlechtserziehung, Germany
Subject matter: sexual education
Results: organizing international conferences ?Sex education and schools?(1997); ?Youth and AIDS? (1999); cooperation focused on the methodology research; presentation of ?Conception of National Program of Sex Education? Drezno (2002)
3. Open Society Institute, International Harm Reduction Development Program, USA
Subject matter: social aspects of the prostitution, drugs on sex work
Results: published reports on patterns of polish borderland prostitution (2000); since 2001 ?IHRD ?Drug- Related HIV Harm Reduction for Sex Workers? project has been conducted
4. United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, Turin, Italy
Subject matter: trafficking and smuggling in human being
Results: United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) ? study visit (2000); implementation of the international project ?The coalitions against Trafficking in Human Beings in the Czech Republic (Cheb) and Poland (Zielona Góra)? (2002)
5. Catholic University of Leuven, Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology, Belgium
Subject matter: prevention of sexually abusive behaviour
Results: organising international conference ?Child sexual abuse? (2001); research report on prevention and approaching of sexually abusive behaviour in residential institutions (1999 ? 2001); participation in workshops ?Prevention of sexually abusive behaviour within residential institutions? (2002)
6. End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography, and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes International(ECPAT), Bangkok, Thailand
Subject matter: commercial sexual exploitation of children
Results: study visit of Regional Coordinator ECPAT?S activity for East and Central Europe (2001); in this framework has been established an expert group to deal with monitoring child pornography on the Internet; participation in ?Second World Congress against Child Pornography, Prostitution and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes? Yokohama (2001), preparing publication
