Health
Sexual and reproductive health
Sexual & Reproductive Health
Also known as reproductive health / contraception
This is the corner of medicine where biology runs headfirst into politics: who can have children, when, and by choice touches contraception, childbirth, and infections that pass between partners. Because it decides how many babies are born, it drives whether a country's population grows, shrinks, or ages (Population & Migration). It reshapes the workforce, since control over childbearing changed when and how women could work and earn (Work, Wages & Labour Markets). And couples' real choices about family are a live example of strategy, where each person's decision depends on the other's (Game Theory & Strategy).
Timeline
- 1950The other event that changed public opinion was the outbreak of rubella in the 1950s and 60s.
- 1995This definition of the term is also echoed in the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, or the so-called Beijing Declaration of 1995.
Read
- It's Perfectly NormalRobie H. Harris · 1994Book
- Routledge International Handbook of Women's Sexual and Reproductive HealthJane M. Ussher · 2019Book
- Sexual and Reproductive Health at a GlanceCatriona Melville · 2015Book
- Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in AfricaEbenezer Durojaye · 2021Book
Watch
- What is reproductive health?Bliss MoyoVideo
- Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights SRHR Module 3 lesson 8BEN-CHARLOTTE OBS & GYNAE E-TEACHINGVideo
- Viewing Gender, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Very Young Adolescents through a Wide Angle LensHRPVideo
Listen
- Is It Normal? The Pregnancy Podcast With Jessie WareJessie WarePodcast
- Clinical Chats: a Podcast for Sexual and Reproductive Health ProfessionalsClinical Training Center for Sexual and Reproductive HealthPodcast
- The Shift with Katherine MaslenKatherine MaslenPodcast
- Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters PodcastSexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM)Podcast
Voices to follow
- Tlaleng Mofokeng@drtlaleng · XSouth African physician and activist for women's rights and sexual and reproductive health rights. Member of the Commission for Gender Equality of the Government of South AfricaCommunity
By the numbers
- 73.5Global life expectancy (yrs) — global, 2024 (World Bank)
- 10.1Health spend (% GDP) — global, 2023 (World Bank)
Debates
- Should sex education in schools be comprehensive or focus solely on abstinence?One view: Comprehensive sex education provides students with full information on contraception, STIs, and consent, preparing them for healthy choices. · Another: Abstinence-only education promotes delaying sexual activity, which some believe is the most effective way to prevent STIs and unintended pregnancies.Open question
- How should access to reproductive healthcare services, including abortion, be regulated?One view: Access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, should be a fundamental right, allowing individuals to make personal health decisions without undue government interference. · Another: Reproductive healthcare services, especially abortion, should be subject to strict regulations to protect unborn life and reflect societal values.Open question
Glossary
- PubertyThe process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction.
- ContraceptionMethods or devices used to prevent pregnancy.
- STISexually transmitted infection; an infection passed from one person to another through sexual contact.
- FertilityThe natural capability to produce offspring.
- ConsentVoluntary agreement to engage in a specific activity, freely given and reversible.
- MenstruationThe monthly shedding of the uterine lining in people with a uterus, commonly known as a period.
Careers
Roles this can lead toward
Student research
Published policy papers by One Young India delegates — every delegate leaves published under their own name.
Threads 3
Where this connects to other fields — and why it's worth knowing.
- Game Theory & Strategy Mathematics
During pregnancy, the fetus and the mother's body are secretly playing tug-of-war over nutrients. Genes the fetus got from the dad push it to grab as much as possible from the mother; genes from the mom push back to hold some in reserve. It's an evolutionary strategy game, and the battlefield is a single body.
- Population and Migration Geography
In parts of Asia, families choosing to abort daughters has left tens of millions of 'missing women,' a gap you can see in the population numbers. That leaves huge crowds of young men who can't find partners. Researchers link that lopsided ratio to rising crime and unrest, so a personal choice ripples out into a whole society's stability.
- Work, Wages & Labour Markets Economics
When the birth control pill let women reliably decide when to have kids, they could suddenly plan for years of school and career first. That one small pill reshaped who works, what they earn, and how whole economies run, changing the workforce as powerfully as any factory machine ever did.