Advancing Gender Equity through Sexual Health Care: A Comprehensive Analysis

Abstract

As human rights, reproductive and sexual health rights are fundamental to achieving equitable health outcomes and empowering individuals to make important decisions about their bodies and their lives in general. Access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare and sexual health education remains uneven, often dictated by policies and practices that reflect deep-seated inequalities. Around the world, restrictive regulations and insufficient resources limit access, disproportionately affecting women’s healthcare. This article aims to explore and analyse the policies shaping reproductive and sexual health rights and the critical role of education in fostering informed, healthy choices and advancing gender equity.

Introduction

Sexual health is inextricably bound up with sexuality; specifically, according to the World Health Organization, sexual health is defined as "a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being related to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, disfunction or infirmity''. Women (henceforth womxn) - and other genders -are called to claim equity by sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Barriers to Equitable Access to Reproductive Health Services: The example of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) emphasizes that womxn's sexual and reproductive health is intertwined with multiple human rights, including the rights to life, health and education. Governments are obligated to ensure that reproductive health services are available, accessible, and of good quality. Despite the need to protect sexual and reproductive health and rights, there are some examples of inequitable access to health care. One of them is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). FGM is a procedure where a womxn's genital part, such as her clitoris, her labia minora, or even her labia majora, is being removed. According to UNICEF (2024), "over 230 million girls and women have been cut while Africa accounts for the largest share of this total, with over 144 million women and girls. Asia follows with over 80 million, and a further 6 million are in the Middle East". This harmful procedure causes severe pain, fever, infections, excessive bleeding, shock or even death. Therefore, to ensure sexual health care, specific policies must be shaped concerning this field. One of them was applied in 2008, where World Health Assembly developed a global strategy against this procedure while also "the practice of FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against girls and women" (World Health Organization, 2024).

Cultural, Religious, and Financial Influence on Public Health

Cultural and religious resistance, lack of political will and not enough government funding significantly affect the quality and accessibility of sexual education. In many societies, discussing sexual health openly is considered taboo, making it difficult to implement or normalize education programs. For example, in Japan, societal norms and work culture have contributed to a perception of sexual repression, with surveys suggesting that many individuals experience dissatisfaction in their intimate relationships. Concerning religious resistance to sexual education, Organizations like Family Watch International have been vocal in their opposition to comprehensive sexual education, especially topics related to LGBTQ+ rights and contraception. Lack of funding can extend these inequities, while those with limited funding often experience higher rates of these issues. For example, in the USA, "they looked at teenage birth rates in 55 U.S. counties in the years leading up to their receiving Teen Prevention Pregnancy program (TPP) funding (1996-2009) and during the years they did receive this support (2010-2016). They then compared teen birth rates in the 55 funded counties to teen birth rates in more than 2,800 unfunded counties in the years before and after TPP funding" (Devitt,2022). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2023, over 2.4 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhoea, and chlamydia were diagnosed and reported. This includes over 209,000 cases of syphilis, over 600,000 cases of gonorrhoea, and over 1.6 million cases of chlamydia (2024) while the organization Population Matters stated that there is a strong increase in developing sexual healthcare by governments fundings in 2020, comparing to 2017. In advance, “the UK comes out on top with almost 204 million Euros spent, followed by Norway (146 million), the Netherlands (142 million), and Sweden (131 million). However, Sweden is the biggest donor when accounting for economy size – the country spent 1.04% of its Gross National Income on overseas development aid in 2018”. Moreover, countries with better-funded sexual healthcare tend to have lower rates of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In Sweden for example, where the rate of teenage births percentage in 2022 has decreased up to 2 of every 1000 girls comparing to 1980 where it seemed to be approximately 50 up to 1000.

The Role of Comprehensive Sexual Education in Sexual Healthcare Rights

Comprehensive sexual education can contribute to equitable access to sexual health care for womxn and gender minorities. It is highly important for a teenager to develop a safe and positive view of sexuality. However, access to sexual care education is influenced by a range of policies and practices at the local, national, and global levels. Moreover, some governments mandate sexual education in schools, while others leave it optional or to parental discretion. For instance, in 1955, Sweden became the first country to mandate sex education in all schools, while in Spain, sex education is not a mandatory practice; it only depends on local authorities and schools. Teacher training and professional development also play a key role in sexual education. Educators who are qualified by proper training in sexual education deliver more accurate and inclusive content. By contrast, teachers' discomfort or lack of sexual healthcare information can influence the effectiveness of sexual education, depending on the training they receive. "In the Lao People's Democratic Republic, teachers are required to undergo 40 hours of in-service training and 40 hours of pre-service training before they can teach CSE subjects. Principals and representatives from parent-teacher associations are also included in the training to ensure that teachers are fully supported" (UNESCO, 2023). Lastly, there are notable examples of successful practices in sexual education. Specifically, the Netherlands achieved comprehensive, age-appropriate sexual education that starts at an early age and includes topics like emotions, consent, and diversity.

Conclusion

In closing, advancing gender equity through sexual health care is an issue of justice, human rights, and societal progress. The findings from this analysis underscore the critical importance of comprehensive sexual education in achieving gender equality, yet it also highlights the challenges that persist due to social and political. Moving forward, a more inclusive and equitable approach to sexual health care and education is essential to ensure that all womxn, gender minorities and marginalized communities have access to the tools and knowledge they need to make informed choices about their lives and bodies. Funding on womxn’s healthcare can be a very critical practise that needs to be made by investing on scientists and research teams, advancing healthcare equity, by making it a priority. The analysis concludes that achieving gender equity through improved sexual healthcare and education is not only essential for better health outcomes, but also a matter of justice and human rights. Recommendations include fostering inclusive policy frameworks, increasing funding, and normalizing sexual education to ensure access for all individuals, particularly womxn.

References

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