The rehabilitation of people who have suffered war-related injuries has become part of the new reality of Ukrainian society. At the same time, despite the visibility of stages such as prosthetics and physical rehabilitation, the realm of sexual life often remains overlooked, even though it is a vital component of returning to a full life, intimacy, and acceptance of one’s own body.
The “RECOVERY. Sexual Life” program, in collaboration with the national platform Diya.Osvita and with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation, has launched a free educational series titled “RECOVERY. Sexual Life: Rehabilitation After Trauma or Injury,” dedicated to restoring the intimate lives of military personnel and veterans following trauma. The program is implemented as part of the RECOVERY project—a national network of rehabilitation centers for wounded military personnel, founded by Viktor and Olena Pinchuk.
The series was created for frontline professionals—physical therapists, physical rehabilitation physicians, occupational therapists, psychologists, psychotherapists, nurses, and social workers—as well as for service members and veterans themselves. It is designed to provide basic knowledge about sexual rehabilitation and to teach how to communicate effectively and support patients after trauma.
“The sexual and relationship issues that wounded veterans may face are not always easy to discuss. But it’s essential to talk about these topics with them, because sexual recovery is an important step toward their return to normal life. We created this online course specifically to make it easier for professionals to initiate this sensitive conversation in a way that is comfortable for veterans and yields the best results,” says Olena Pinchuk, founder of the RECOVERY project.
“Over the six years of the Diya.Education project, we’ve seen that Ukrainians are ready to learn about complex and sensitive topics if the information is presented well and with respect. 5.5 million certificates earned through training in over 30 topics—from cyber hygiene and AI to career transitions and accessibility—confirm that Ukrainians’ demand is deepening: from basic digital skills to knowledge that helps them live and recover in wartime conditions. “This educational series on sexual rehabilitation after trauma represents a new level of dialogue between the state, experts, and society,” noted Ruslana Korenchuk, CEO of Diya.Osvita, CDTO of Campus, and manager of joint projects between the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Eastern Europe Foundation.
The series is based on the “RECOVERY. Sexual Life” training program, which has been running for three years for professionals in Ukraine and brings together international and Ukrainian experts in the fields of sexual health, psychology, and rehabilitation.
Among the series’ experts are: Catherine Ellis (USA)—a doctor, professional therapist, and certified sexuality counselor; Boris Vornik (Ukraine)—Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor in the Department of Sexology and Medical Psychology, and a leading sexologist in Ukraine; Sviatoslava Fedorets (Ukraine)—a sexologist specializing in sexual rehabilitation for military personnel, veterans, and people with disabilities; Yulia Yaroshenko (Ukraine)—a sexologist and founder of educational initiatives in the field of sexual culture.
The series consists of 12 short educational episodes in an edutainment format (up to 15 minutes each) and covers key topics:
— what sexual rehabilitation is and why it is important in the process of recovery from trauma;
— why it is important to talk to patients about sexuality and how to do so appropriately;
— how to identify a request or issue related to sexual health;
— what basic recommendations can be provided to a person after trauma;
— what constitutes sexual “normality” and how to address one’s own biases;
— what practical support tools are available, including adaptive devices for use after trauma;
— when and to which specialist a patient should be referred.
Once they have completed the course, professionals will be better equipped to address this topic, and the educational series itself is designed to reduce stigma and integrate sexual health into the rehabilitation system.
The series is available for free on the Diya.Osvita platform and can be taken at your own pace without any specialized prior training.
Link to the educational series.
The educational series was created by the team of the “RECOVERY. Sexual Life” program with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation for the Diya.Osvita platform, whose strategic partner is the Swiss-Ukrainian EGAP program, implemented by the Eastern Europe Foundation.
Background
“RECOVERY. Sexual Life” is an educational program for professionals working with wounded Ukrainian soldiers, designed to help them rebuild their sexual and personal lives. It is a program of the RECOVERY national network of rehabilitation centers, which Viktor and Olena Pinchuk founded to support Ukraine’s security and defense forces.
The educational series project was implemented with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. The International Renaissance Foundation is one of the largest charitable foundations in Ukraine, which has been helping to develop an open society based on democratic values in the country since 1990. Over the course of its work, the Foundation has supported nearly 20,000 projects totaling over $350 million.
Source: Novynarnia
