What are Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights?

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), reproductive health is the state of full physical, mental and social well-being in all matters related to the reproductive system and its functions and processes, not just safety from illness or disability. Reproductive Health is an important part of the life cycle of both men and women, particularly concerning health considerations which may improve the health of mothers and newborns in order to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates in addition to addressing other issues such as safe sexual behavior and the prevention of infections and diseases. Reproductive health is not limited to women's health in regards to pregnancy and childbearing, but in a more holistic sense, the health of both men and women to ensure healthy reproduction, the birth of healthy children, and thus the building of healthy families and societies. Target Groups for Reproductive Health:

1. Men and women of reproductive age: to raise their overall level of sexual and reproductive health status and information.
2. Adolescents and youth: to avoid harmful behaviors that may threaten their current and future health and to raise awareness in assuming their responsibilities towards their health and their families.
3. Women after childbearing age: to prevent diseases related to the reproductive system (osteoporosis and cancer), and detect any such issues as early as possible in order to best manage them.
4. Newborns: to maintain their health, survival, and protection.

Men and women have the right to accurate information and health services throughout their lives. In addition to obtaining safe, effective, acceptable and legal family planning advice, such information and services should be gender-sensitive and enable individuals to:

• Make informed decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive activities and lead safe and satisfactory sexual lives

• Have safe pregnancies and childbirth.

• Give birth to a healthy child.

• benefit from birth spacing and have the right to choose when to have a baby.

• avoid unwanted pregnancies and to address the consequences of unwanted or unsafe abortions

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Reproductive Health Rights according to the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA

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Achieve the objectives of sustainable and equitable development ensuring that individuals have the ability to exercise control over their reproductive health, including:

• Reproductive health as a major component of public health in all stages of life for both men and women.

• The ability to make reproductive health decisions, including voluntary testing in marriage and family formation, from determining the number of children to have, to the spacing between pregnancies and the right to access information and resources to do so in an appropriate manner.

• Equality and justice for men and women to enable them to make free and informed decisions in all spheres of life, free from gender-based discrimination or coercion, and the right to privacy.

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Components of reproductive health

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1. Providing quality health services for safe motherhood, including maternal care premarital, during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum
2. Providing family planning services based on the needs of the community so that all options for contraception are available to individuals following the necessary initial consultations
3. Treatment of complications related to delivery, newborns and emergencies
4. Prevention of abortion, treatment of complications and post-abortion care
5. Prevention and treatment of reproductive tract infections, including Sexually Transmitted Infections, especially HIV / AIDS
6. Early detection, referral and management of reproductive-related diseases such as cancers affecting women, such as breast cancer and cervical cancer
7. Prevention and treatment of reproductive diseases following or associated to menopause
8. Prevention and treatment of gender-based violence
9. Prevention and treatment of infertility in an appropriate manner
10. Reproductive health of adolescents
11. Menopause
12. Counseling, education and information for all reproductive health services

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Why Reproductive Health is Important

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1. Increased rates of maternal and child mortality
2. Women face an elevated risk of exposure to disease as a result of repeated pregnancies and complications of childbirth
3. High incidence of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV / AIDS
4. Maternal mortality due to unsafe abortion constitutes a significant proportion of maternal mortality
5. The contribution of unsafe abortion and some sexually transmitted infections has increased the number of people suffering from infertility
6. The significant impact of women's health on the health and life of their families
7. The need to continuously increase the health of women and children
8. Neglecting reproductive health for groups of society, such as youth, men and women, as well as groups most at risk
9. Women's health is more affected by social, psychological and economic aspects and their status in society

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Factors Affecting Reproductive Health

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1. Reproductive health affects and is affected by the social, cultural and economic situation of any given society. It is negatively affected by the spread of illiteracy and unemployment, and by certain traditions, customs, beliefs and values ​​of society. It is also affected by the family environment and the interpersonal relationships between family members.
2. Behaviors related to marriage, reproduction and family composition are controlled by complex factors including cultural, biological, psychological and social factors.
3. The position of women in society in many parts of the world such as the discrimination girls face in regards to the distribution of family resources and access to health care. In areas where women's status is low, their health, education and emotional needs are neglected.
4. Health services that play an important role in promoting reproductive health. Reproductive problems cannot be prevented or treated without the availability of high-quality health services that have been planned to meet the health needs of different groups, while ensuring accessibility.

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Reasons to Adopt the New Concept of Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights

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1. It addresses reproductive health problems in an integrated and comprehensive way for both men and women.
2. It includes the needs for the care of some groups that have not received information and services in the past, such as adolescents and young people.
3. It covers women's health problems throughout their entire lives and not just throughout the childbearing cycle.
4. It pays special attention to informative advice as an important part of reproductive health services.
5. It ensures that quality SRH services are provided Components of Reproductive Health

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