YOUNG PEOPLE’S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN RURAL AREAS OF RUSSIA: RESEARCH THROUGH THE PRISM OF VALUES

Abstract

Background. Issues of youth reproductive health are among the most pressing research directions in the contemporary study of social problems affecting young people. The purpose of study is to characterize the reproductive health of rural youth through the prism of values using the example of southern Russia to improve the demographic policy of the region. We substantiated the relevance and theoretical aspects of the research based on a brief analysis of the publications in Scopus. In the empirical part of the study, a survey of 427 people was conducted using a group handout questionnaire. Materials and methods. The study of the young people’s reproductive health through the prism of values was conducted in April-May 2024 with the involvement of students from Stavropol State Agrarian University. The survey was conducted using a group handout questionnaire. Participation in the survey was carried out on a voluntary and anonymous basis. Results. The identified key values of rural youth are commitment to making in-formed decisions, responsibility, truthfulness, sincerity, good manners and independence; most of the survey participants plan to have children; there is a high level of awareness among young people about sexual relations, which generally correlates with the key values of the social group in which the study was conducted. Conclusion. The conducted research on the young people’s reproductive health through the prism of values shows that the majority of the survey participants plan to have children.