Freedom Regarding Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights for Adolescents and Young Adults of Haut-Sassandra, Côte d’Ivoire: A Study of Stakeholder Opinion

BackgroundOne of the key targets of Ghana’s Adolescent Health Service Policy and Strategy is to ensure that 90% of adolescents and young people have knowledge of sexual and reproductive health services and rights. This phenomenon has led to the establishment of adolescent-friendly health facilities to increase access to health information and services among adolescents. Despite these efforts, access to health information and service utilisation remains low among adolescents. Our study seeks to examine adolescents’ perception of sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) and access to reproductive health information and services in the Adaklu district of the Volta region of Ghana.MethodsA baseline cross-sectional household survey of 221 adolescents aged 10–19 years in 30 randomly selected communities was used. A structured questionnaire was developed and administered to the respondents. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between adolescents’ perception of adolescent sexual and reproductive health rights (ASRHR) and access to reproductive health information and services.ResultsAdolescents’ perception of SRHR was poor, and this poor perception may have been reflected in a few proportions (10%) of adolescents accessing SRH information and services. Majority (91.9%) of adolescents do not use sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in the Adaklu district. Adolescents who attained primary education (aOR = 5.99, CI: 1.16–30.95), those who never had sexual communication with their father (aOR = 8.89, CI: 1.99–39.60) and adolescents who never experienced any form of sexual coercion (aOR = 11.73, CI: 1.61–85.68) had a higher likelihood of not utilising SRH services in Adaklu district. Regarding access to SRH information, adolescents who ever discussed sexual matters with their fathers, those who ever used contraceptives and adolescents who ever experienced sexual coercion had lower odds of accessing information on contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and teenage pregnancy.ConclusionsAccess to and use of sexual and reproductive information and health services among adolescents in Adaklu district remain very low, which has implications for adolescents’ knowledge and perception of their SRHR. Considering the factors predicting this phenomenon, it is recommended that interventions can be tailored to address the unique challenges faced by adolescent in accessing comprehensive SRH support.

Putting sexual and reproductive health on the agenda

Dorothy Shaw: promoting women's sexual and reproductive rights

Protocol for a systematic review: Interventions addressing men, masculinities and gender equality in sexual and reproductive health: An evidence and gap map and systematic review of reviews.

This paper studies the effect of bride price on the realisation of the sexual and reproductive health rights of women in South Africa and Nigeria. It adopts the doctrinal research method by reviewing the nature and form of bride price in South Africa and Nigeria. The paper also considers the legal framework for sexual and reproductive health rights of women in South Africa and Nigeria and the consequential effects of bride price on the sexual and reproductive health rights of women in the two countries. It argues that the payment of bride price inhibits the realisation of the sexual and reproductive health rights of women entrenched in various international instruments which both South Africa and Nigeria are signatories and their respective domestic laws. The paper submits that men in the society should be educated that the payment of bride price does not translate to buying their wives but as a mere token to show their gratitude in anticipation for the gift of a wife. Payment of bride price should be seen as a mere cultural observation without the ulterior motive of subjugating the woman. Keywords: Bride Price, Women, Sexual Rights, Reproductive Rights, Nigeria, South Africa DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/96-04 Publication date: April 30 th 2020

What role can NHRIs play in the protection and promotion of sexual and reproductive health rights in their countries? This paper seeks to answer that question through two case studies from the work of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR, the Commission). It starts by providing perspectives of various internationally accepted sources of what constitutes sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) and then highlights Kenya’s normative framework thereon. The paper then goes on to discuss the findings of KNCHR’s from its Public Inquiry into Violations of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in Kenya that was conducted in 2012 and from its work around the 2017 election period with regard to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) cases. Several recommendations from both activities are then provided which if implemented by the Kenyan government can enhance the realization of the reproductive and sexual health rights of its citizenry. Such implementation would also make the Kenyan state compliant with its national, regional and international obligations. Excerpts from the General Comments provided by two of Africa’s regional human rights mechanisms are also outlined in a bid to dissect how the ACHPR has interpreted its mandate in protecting women and girls’ SRHRs.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights are basic human rights: The FLASOG Panama Declaration and FIGO Cartagena Declaration.

abstractThe adoption of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action (1994), brought sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) under the attention of the international community. International law standards recognise the need to create an enabling legal environment that ensures that adolescent sexual and reproductive rights are realised. These standards include, for instance, setting an age at which adolescents can access contraceptives without parental consent, and facilitating the provision of family planning services to adolescents. This article employs a feminist approach to critiquing the protections available to the SRHR of adolescents in Eastern and Southern Africa. It explores the current legal approaches to the protection of the SRHR in international and regional instruments and examines the way they are implemented in the regions. The article establishes that while broad frameworks exist under the international and regional frameworks, reference to the specific rights issues facing adolescents is limited. It also shows that while the international guidance is premised on the principles of gender equality, it fails to provide a holistic approach that the domestic jurisdictions can follow. The article concludes with views on the role of the law in promoting adolescent sexual and reproductive health from a gender-sensitive perspective. Feminist jurisprudence is used as the theoretical framework throughout the article.

Sexual rights have been defined as an evolving set of entitlements related to sexuality that contribute to the freedom, equality, and dignity of all people. Sexual rights are human rights related to sexuality that address a wide range of issues and often intersect with several other rights. Examples of sexual rights issues include, but are not limited to, sexuality education, reproductive rights, maternal morbidity and mortality, and sex work. More broadly, sexual rights are one field that falls under sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Three other related, but separate fields in SRHR are sexual health, reproductive health, and reproductive rights. In the broad concept of SRHR, these four fields are treated as separate, but are inherently intertwined. Beyond this broad definition, what constitutes sexual rights is contested and means different things to different groups.

Defending and debating sexual and reproductive rights

The Qur'an, as the primary and main source of Islamic rules, provides a rich variety of human rights includingwomen’s rights. These rules are not static; they are dynamic and flexible in character. The flexibility of the rulesin Islam is intentional, as Islam was revealed for all people and for all millennia. It is an essential aspect ofQur'anic philosophy. Consequently, its jurisprudence must be capable of responding to widely diverse needs andproblems. To understand the Islamic stance on sexual and reproductive health rights, it is necessary to search theverses of the Qur'an more carefully. This study has provided an understanding of women’s sexual andreproductive rights in Qur'an from a human rights perspective.This study was conducted using quantitative content analysis of all verses of the Qur'an. After creating a codingscheme of Qur'an's verses, four categories related to the main areas of women’s sexual and reproductive rightsincluding sexual relationships, reproductive choice, prohibition of violence against women, and gender equitywere determined and their presence and frequency were identified. The MAXqda software, version 2007, wasused for organizing and managing the data. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize and describe data.More than 30 surahs and 93 verses of the Qur'an had various concepts in relation to sexual and reproductiverights. In general, concepts related to the women’s sexual and reproductive rights have been appeared 98 times inthe Qur’an. The most frequently reported categories were related to sexual relationships (31 times) andreproductive choice (27 times) and the least reported one was prohibition of violence against women (16 times).This study showed that the concepts related to sexual and reproductive rights have extensively appeared in theQur'an. Based on Qur'anic perspective, women in addition to autonomy have reproductive and sexual rights inorder to actualize of their human capacity.

Women’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH) encompasses several topics, including but not limited to sexual expression, pregnancy, childbirth, contraception, and diseases of the reproductive system. The use of legal authority and power, as well as political influence, have long been factors used to regulate women’s SRH. In the United States (U.S.), examples of state and national legislation have been undertaken to impact SRH and medical treatment and decision-making related to SRH. Several national and international organizations engage in sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) activities. The activities of these national and international organizations in SRH often include policy formulation, data collection, monitoring, reporting, and other functions. While definitions of sexual and reproductive health rights vary, there are commonalities and core issues that can be identified. These include issues related to the LGBTQ population, immigration, and reproductive health rights among minoritized groups, which are leading topics wrapped around SRHR and of debate in recent history. This article aims to discuss sexual and reproductive health in promoting population health and societal well-being, recent policy decisions impacting SRH, and the role nurses play in shaping research, practice, and policies. For this paper, sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) are defined as an extension of human rights relating to an individual’s autonomy, sexuality, sexual expression, reproduction, and access to information and resources on SRH. SRHR also includes freedom from violence, discrimination, and mistreatment. While a comprehensive review of these areas is beyond this article's scope, historical and recent examples are illustrated.

BackgroundVarious countries in the world have achieved promising progress in promoting, protecting and guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHRs) since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo. However, SRHRs have not been recognized to their maximum potential in Ethiopia, despite the domestication of the international instruments related to their successful implementation. This study was intended to determine the magnitude of SRHRs knowledge, reproductive health services utilization and their independent predictors among rural reproductive-age women in the Aleta Wondo District, Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 833 rural reproductive-age women from April to May 2019. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select households, and a structured questionnaire was used to gather the data. EPI INFO version 7 was used to enter the data, and SPSS version 23 was used for data analysis. Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the association between outcomes and explanatory variables. Odds ratios at 95% CI were also computed and reported.ResultsOf 833 respondents, 43.9% had good knowledge of SRHR, and 37% had used at least one sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service. Variables that had a statistically significant association with SRHR knowledge in multivariable analysis were: had formal education, household with the highest income, having information sources for SRH services, and knowing about SRH services and providing institutions. SRH services utilization was associated with: having information sources for SRH services, had formal education, household with the highest income, and knowing about SRH services and providing institutions.ConclusionIn this study demographic and economic factors, such as education and household monthly income were positively identified as independent predictors for knowledge of SRHR and SRH services utilization. Therefore, responsible government sectors and NGOs should design and implement programs to promote women’s educational status and household economic status to enhance women’s SRHR knowledge and SRH services utilization.

Sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHRs) are integral elements of the rights of everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, but they are the most underdeveloped and least understood sphere of rights, especially in Africa, including the country of Ethiopia. The implementation of women's SRHRs is essential for achieving gender equality and promoting women's rights. Husbands' knowledge and involvement play a significant role in improving women's practice of their SRHRs. However, there is limited information/data about the level of husbands' knowledge and involvement in Northwest Ethiopia, including Bahir Dar City. Therefore, this study aimed to assess husbands' knowledge, involvement, and factors influencing their involvement in women's SRHRs. Community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from March 20 to April 5, 2023, in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia, among 391 husbands. Multi-stage sampling and simple random sampling technique were applied to select kebeles and study participants, respectively. Participants were interviewed face-to-face using structured and pretested questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was applied to identify associated factors, and a p-value of <0.05 was a cutoff point to declare statistical significance. In this study, 50.6% (198/391) of the husbands had good knowledge about their wives' SRHRs and 44.2% (173/391) (95% CI, 39.3-49.1%) of the husbands were involved when their wives practiced their SRHRs. Access training/education about sexual health [AOR = 5.99; 95% CI (2.7-13.2)], husbands' advance educational level [AOR = 8.81; 95% CI (2.04-38)], good knowledge about SRHRs [AOR = 7.94; 95% CI (4.3-14.4)], low monthly income (<4,600 birr) [AOR = 9.25; 95% CI (4.2-20.5)], and had open discussion with family members and friends about SRHRs [AOR = 1.92; 95% CI (1.01-3.6)] were found to have significant association with husbands' involvement. Husbands' level of knowledge on SRHRs of women and their involvement remain low. Therefore, responsible concerned bodies need to work on the strategies that help to improve men involvement and knowledge, and tackle the above-mentioned factors influencing their involvement.

Sexual health and reproductive rights at a crossroad