Sexual and Reproductive Health: a matter of life and death

Among world’s poorest communities, unsafe sex is one of the most alarming factor causing disability and death. However, economical effective interventions are available to prevent unintended pregnancy, provide safe abortions, help women safely through pregnancy and child birth, and prevent and treat sexually transmitted infections. Still plenty of couples have unmet need for contraception and it results in unintended pregnancy. Unfortunately, plenty of these women die from complications associated with pregnancy, child birth and postpartum period. Women and adolescents are the people who are mostly affected by sexual and reproductive ill-health because of being socially disempowered. In most of the places, sexual and reproductive health services are of so poor quality that people feel uncomfortable to visit those places. Progress has been made in terms of improving the health services but political, religious and cultural forces influence the services in terms of implementation.

Reference:

Glasier, A., Gülmezoglu, A. M., Schmid, G. P., Moreno, C. G., & Van Look, P. F. (2006). Sexual and reproductive health: a matter of life and death. The Lancet, 368(9547), 1595-1607.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(06)69478-6/abstract