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

Abstract

FIGO (the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) has a vision that women of the world achieve the highest possible standards of physical, mental, reproductive, and sexual health and wellbeing throughout their lives, as stated in its 10-year strategic plan.1 To realize success, FIGO promotes actions that improve the wellbeing of all women, children, and families in the world, setting an important goal of enhancing their status, and thereby enabling them to realize their full potential of education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and personal wellbeing. FIGO is committed to guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health and rights through the provision of accessible, affordable, sustainable, and comprehensive health services. It aims to strengthen and support the regional networks of Obstetrics and Gynecology federations to foster mutual cooperation and commitment aligned with FIGO's objectives. This collaboration then strengthens the capacity of national member societies, supporting them to play a fundamental role in influencing the practices and policies of their countries. The COVID-19 pandemic seriously affected the provision of sexual and reproductive health services, with a greater impact in low- and middle-income countries. FIGO has called on its national societies to increase their advocacy for the defense of sexual and reproductive rights as an inseparable part of human rights. In this context, during the second FLASOG Summit on Contraception and Sexual and Reproductive Rights, held in Panama City in August 2022, the Latin American Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology Societies (FLASOG) signed the “Panama Declaration”, committing national societies and federations of Gynecology and Obstetrics to a number of important mandates—the full text of the Declaration follows below. Following on from this, a new Declaration—the “Cartagena Declaration”—was made at the FIGO Regional Congress in Cartagena, Colombia, in November 2022. The full text of these commitments can also be read in detail below. A strategic work plan is proposed in order to integrate and disseminate these mandates, promoting the creation of committees and provision of training in sexual and reproductive rights, in close collaboration with government authorities, societies and federations of Gynecology and Obstetrics, to guarantee implementation of the promotion and protection of sexual and reproductive rights. In the framework of the second Summit on Contraception and Sexual and Reproductive Rights held in Panama City from August 25 to 27, 2022, the Latin American Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology Societies (FLASOG) convened a workshop to define the scope of a project endorsed by FIGO on “Clarification of values in Sexual and Reproductive Health in Latin America, with emphasis on vulnerable countries”. This workshop sought to strengthen the leaders of the 19 affiliated societies of FLASOG to achieve a greater commitment to the defense of women's sexual and reproductive rights as an inseparable part of human rights. This was set of the context of advances observed in the region falling short of expectations; the COVID-19 pandemic caused a marked setback, with women being the most affected group post-pandemic. FLASOG considers the following rights to be of major importance: the right to a satisfactory sex life, free of violence and risk of disease or unwanted pregnancy; the right to motherhood without unnecessary risks of disease and death; the right to decide freely about fertility; and the right to termination of pregnancy as permitted by the legislation of each country. FIGO's Division of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Wellbeing, with its three Committees—the Committee on Contraception, Committee on Safe Abortion, and Committee on Reproductive Medicine, Endocrinology and Infertility—met at the FIGO 2022 Regional Congress held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, on 5 November 2022. At that meeting, the Division's leaders considered the Panama Declaration—which was developed during the second FLASOG Summit on Contraception and Sexual and Reproductive Rights, held in Panama City in August 2022—and the overall objectives of the Division. FIGO declares that access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is a basic and non-negotiable human right of every woman and girl in the world. FIGO recognizes that to fulfill their potential throughout the life course, a women must have access to modern methods of contraception (the choice to become pregnant when desired), safe abortion (the ability to decide whether to terminate a pregnancy), and fertility care (the ability to use artificial reproductive technology to achieve pregnancy). Edgar Ivan Ortiz wrote the introduction of the editorial, contributed to the drafting of the Declaration of Panama which was prepared with the support of Drs Nestor Garello, President of FLASOG, Miguel Gutierez, Executive Director of FLASOG and Enrrique Guevara, Coordinator of the Committee of FLASOG Sexual and Reproductive Rights. The Cartagena Declaration was drafted by Dr. Ivonne Diaz Yamal, FIGO Director for the Division of Sexuality and Reproductive Health and Well-being, with the collaboration of Dr. Jeanne Conry, FIGO President; Aparna Sridhar, Chair, FIGO Committee on Contraception; Teresa Bombas, Chair, FIGO Committee on Safe Abortion and Jaideep Malhotra, Chair, FIGO Committee on Reproductive Medicine, Endocrinology and Infertility. All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this editorial and approved submission. Signatories of the Panama Declaration: Edgar Ivan Ortiz Lizcano, FIGO Regional Trustee for Latin America; Nestor Garello, FLASOG President; Ivonne Diaz Yamal, FIGO Director for Division of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Wellbeing. Signatories of the Cartagena Declaration: Jeanne Conry, FIGO President; Ivonne Diaz, Director, FIGO Division of SRHW; Aparna Sridhar, Chair, FIGO Committee on Contraception; Teresa Bombas, Chair, FIGO Committee on Safe Abortion; Jaideep Malhotra, Chair, FIGO Committee on Reproductive Medicine, Endocrinology and Infertility. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The statements that are part of this editorial are available on the FIGO and FLASOG websites.