The term can also be further defined more broadly within the framework of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” to denote sexual wellbeing, encompassing the ability of an individual to have responsible, satisfying, and safe sex and the freedom to decide if, when, and how frequently to do so. UN organizations in particular describe sexual and reproductive health as covering both physical and psychological well-being, such as sexuality. Individuals suffer disparities in reproductive health treatments. Inequalities vary depending on socioeconomic class, education level, age, ethnicity, religion, and resources accessible in their surroundings. Low income folks may lack access to proper health treatments and/or understanding of how to manage reproductive health.
Reproductive Health of women
Women’s reproductive and sexual health has a different distinction compared to men’s health. Even in wealthy nations, pregnancy and delivery are linked with high hazards for women, with maternal mortality accounting for more than a quarter of a million deaths each year, with huge differences between the poor and developed countries. Comorbidity from other non-reproductive illnesses such as cardiovascular disease contributes to both the mortality and morbidity of pregnancy, including preeclampsia. Sexually transmitted diseases have substantial repercussions for women and new-borns, with mother-to-child transmission leading to outcomes such as stillbirths and neonatal mortality, and pelvic inflammatory disease leading to infertility. In addition to infertility for many other reasons, birth control, unintended pregnancy, forced sexual activity, and the battle for access to abortion generate further problems for women.
The Need for Reproductive Health
Reproductive health is the condition of physical, mental, and complete well-being and the normal functioning of reproductive organs in all stages of reproduction.
The primary goals of creating awareness for reproductive health the primary goals of creating awareness for reproductive health are:
- It promotes awareness among teens about safe sexual activities.
- It aids in avoiding sexually transmitted illnesses, including HIV/AIDS.
- It protects both the mother and the child from infectious infections and delivers a healthy baby.
- It gives thorough information about the early pregnancy, infertility, birth control techniques, pregnancy, post-childbirth care of the infant and mother, etc.
- It promotes awareness among teens about safe sexual behaviours.
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sometimes referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or the earlier term “venereal disease”, are illnesses that are spread through sexual activity, notably vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral sex. STIs generally do not immediately exhibit symptoms, which leads to the danger of spreading the virus on to others.
Symptoms and indicators of STIs may include vaginal discharge, penile discharge, ulcers on or around the genitals, and pelvic discomfort. Some STIs may induce infertility. Bacterial STIs include chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Parasitic STIs include trichomoniasis. STI diagnostic tests are normally readily accessible in the developed world, while they are sometimes unavailable in the underdeveloped world. Certain immunizations may also reduce the risk of certain illnesses like hepatitis B and some kinds of HPV. Safe sex behaviors, such as condom usage, having a smaller number of sexual partners, and being in a relationship in which one person exclusively has sex with the other person, also minimize the risk of STIs. Comprehensive sex education may also be effective. Most STIs are treatable and curable; among the most prevalent diseases, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis are curable, whereas HIV/AIDS is not. In 2015, around 1.1 billion individuals had STIs other than HIV/AIDS.
About 500 million people are afflicted with either syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, or trichomoniasis. STIs other than HIV caused 108,000 deaths in 2015. There is typically shame and stigma associated with STIs. The phrase “sexually transmitted infection” is often favored over “sexually transmitted illness” or “venereal disease,” since it includes people who do not have clinical sickness.
Adolescent health
Adolescent health creates a major global burden and has a great number of additional and diverse complications compared to adult reproductive health, such as early pregnancy and parenting issues, difficulties accessing contraception and safe termination of pregnancies, lack of healthcare facilities, and high rates of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and mental health problems. Each of them may be altered by outside political, economic, and socio-cultural pressures. For most teenage girls, they also do not want to finish their bodily development trajectories, and hence having the pregnancy exposes them to a propensity to difficulties. These consequences vary from anemia, malaria, HIV and other STIs, postpartum hemorrhage and other postpartum issues, to mental health illnesses such as depression and suicide thoughts or attempts.
Maternal health
99 percent of maternal fatalities occur in underdeveloped nations, while in 25 years, the maternal mortality worldwide reduced to 44 percent.
Statistically, a woman’s likelihood of surviving delivery is intimately connected to her socio economic level, access to healthcare, where she lives geographically, and cultural norms. To comparison, a woman dies of complications from delivery per minute in underdeveloped nations vs a total of 1 percent of overall maternal mortality fatalities in rich countries. Women in poor nations have less access to family planning services, diverse cultural customs, lack of knowledge about birth attendants, prenatal care, birth control, postnatal care, lack of access to health care and are often in poverty. In 2015, people in low-income countries had an average of about 40 percent of prenatal care visits, which were avoidable. All these causes led to an increase in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR)
LGBT+ health
The sexual and reproductive health of LGBT+ people confronts obstacles via concerns including the continuing HIV pandemic, binary organisation of “men” and “women reproductive” health, stigma and repression that hinder LGBT+ people from receiving the treatment they need.
Conclusion:
Access to reproductive health care is quite low in many countries. Women are unable to receive maternal health treatments owing to a lack of awareness about the presence of such facilities or restrictions on freedom of movement. Some women are subjected to forced pregnancies and are prohibited from leaving the house. In many nations, women are not permitted to leave home without a male relative or spouse, and consequently, their capacity to seek medical treatment is restricted. Therefore, strengthening women’s autonomy is essential in order to promote reproductive health, yet it may involve a cultural change.