Voices around CSW 2025- Riding the political momentum 

14 March, 2025

Using the political momentum of CSW 69, SRHM is sharing exclusive interviews, opinion pieces, book reviews and report launches from key actors in the SRHR space.

Fighting Back Together: Five Things You Can Do for Reproductive Rights in the US and the UK

12 March, 2025

As the attack on reproductive rights reaches new heights, we share ideas for action in order to inspire and equip us to fight back.

Tribute to Charles Ngwena

27 February, 2025

A collection of memories, reflections and thoughts to celebrate Charles Ngwena’s remarkable legacy and dedication to human rights.

The Global impact of the trump administration’s Executive Orders on SRHR

27 February, 2025

Documenting and discussing the severe and harmful impact of the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders both in the U.S and globally.

We Can and Must Safeguard SRHR Progress and Resist Regression: We Have Come Too Far to Let It All Slip Away

24 February, 2025

The SRHR community needs to raise their voices separately and in unison, and redeploy resources to meet the huge gaps that have emerged in programmes to meet the needs and fulfil the rights of adolescents.  

Which Way Forward? Addressing Harmful Practices in Maternity Care

10 February, 2025

Harmful practices in maternity care transcend continents and cultures, manifesting in a wide range of forms yet remaining common across different countries.

Surrogacy Under Scrutiny: A Conservative Shift in Legislative Debates

7 February, 2025

Legislative efforts focus on prohibiting specific practices rather than developing a comprehensive, rights-based regulatory framework for assisted reproductive technologies.

The Continuing Fight for Abortion Rights

13 December, 2024

United by a shared global purpose on Human Rights Day 2024, SRHM joined forces with regional institutions and partners and co-organized five online events to delve into the unique challenges and opportunities shaping abortion rights worldwide.

Abortion Progress in Mexico: An Analysis of the Past Year

13 December, 2024

The struggle for abortion decriminalization in Mexico has marked a watershed year in 2024. This progress warrants a careful examination of these milestones and the path forward.

Not Just Reproductive: Addressing Women’s Gynaecological Health Through the Lifecourse in South Asia

11 December, 2024

A discussion on the multifaceted issues that influence women’s gynaecological health in South Asian contexts.

Rights- and Evidence-based knowledge in legal action

10 December, 2024

A roundtable discussion on what we need to effectively use evidence and knowledge for legal and human rights action.

Obstetric Violence: A Neglected Gender-Based Abuse in Maternal Healthcare Needs Urgent Attention

4 December, 2024

Obstetric violence, a form of mistreatment during childbirth, remains largely invisible in discussions about gender-based violence.

Nurturing space for evidence-informed care for LGBTQIA+ persons

2 December, 2024

In early November an LGBTQIA+ Health and Advocacy Symposium was held at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Neuroscience Institute facilitated by the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF) and UCT Faculty of Health Sciences in partnership with a range of civil society organizations including Triangle Project, GenderDynamiX and Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM).

My Body, Whose Choice? A Conversation With Avni Amin

28 November, 2024

This blog post is an interview between Shubhangi Thakur, a researcher and writer based in Delhi, India, focusing on health, gender, and education, and Avni Amin, who works at the WHO’s Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research on violence against women.

The (mis)use of evidence in contested rights: the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls’ report on “prostitution and violence”

21 November, 2024

This webinar is centred around a commentary in the SRHM Journal which raises concerns about the basis on which a recent report on ‘prostitution and violence,’ by a UN human rights expert, rests its arguments.

Why is a Harris-Walz win crucial for adolescent sexual and reproductive health?

1 November, 2024

In this blog post, Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli describes the current state of comprehensive sexuality education in the USA and interviews a young American woman, Margaret Smith, about her reflections as to why a Harris-Walz win is so desperately needed for the sexual and reproductive health of young people.

Intersex Awareness Day 2024

24 October, 2024

Selected papers related to the human rights of intersex persons from the Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters Journal.

How arms exports can contribute to human rights violations of women living in Gaza: Examining states’ extraterritorial obligations under CEDAW

18 October, 2024

On 16 October 2024, Eszter Kismödi, Chief Executive of SRHM spoke to James Yap and Anjli Parrin, two contributors to a report which reviews Canada’s complicity in violations of women’s rights to maternal healthcare in Gaza.

Sexual and reproductive health during the bombings in Lebanon: An interview with Dr. Faysal El Kak

9 October, 2024

On 8 October 2024, Eszter Kismödi, Chief Executive of SRHM, talked to Faysal El Kak as he gives a first hand account of the situation in Beirut, in relation to sexual and reproductive health and human rights during the last 3 weeks of bombing.

Pleasure Matters

9 September, 2024

On 5 September 2024, SRHM cohosted a dynamic and engaging webinar with The Pleasure Project and the Agents of Ishq, in commemoration of World Sexual Health Day. This event marked the launch of the first Special Collection of the SRHM Journal on Sexual Pleasure. 

Samuel Bester: The artist behind the cover

19 August, 2024

Samuel Bester provided the cover image for the SRHM Special Collection on Sexual Pleasure, based on his short film, Hermaphrodite. In this interview, he talks about his work and its connection to sexual pleasure.

International Self-Care Day

24 July, 2024

July 24 is celebrated as International Self-Care Day. SRHM has published several articles on self-care intervention tools for enhancing access to sexual and reproductive health. Please find a list of papers here.

Using Evidence for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Action in Today’s World

1 July, 2024

SRHM convened a landmark meeting in June 2024 in Rabat, Morocco, on strategic and inclusive approaches to evidence creation, dissemination, and communication within the SRHR field.

United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

26 June, 2024

On June 26, the United Nations’ International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, SRHM stands in solidarity with the survivors of torture. Please find a list of important papers published in the SRHM journal on the challenges to ending different kinds of torture (such as sexual and intimate partner violence) in several countries, the factors underlying the prevalence of abuse and suffering despite human rights laws and policies, and the efficacy and feasibility of interventions that can help address these and end these practices.

Menstrual Hygiene Day: Together for a Period Friendly World

28 May, 2024

May 28 is Menstrual Hygiene Day, meant to raise awareness on the importance of menstrual hygiene management and how it can be achieved, especially in developing regions where menstruation is still associated with stigma. In this blog, we highlight key SRHM papers on the topic.

Witnessing the Scourge of Female Genital Mutilation: A Female Doctor’s Perspective from Ethiopia

15 May, 2024

In this blog, an Ethiopian reproductive health advocate and gynecologist, Dr. Yodit Sileshi Zewde, talks about her experience growing up and working in regions where FGM/C is still prevalent.

What do oral contraceptives have to do with human rights abuses in sport?

8 May, 2024

In this webinar by SRHM, our panellists urgently revisited how faulty assumptions about oral contraceptive pills—introduced by World Athletics and their recruited experts, and then readily accepted by the courts—have led to the sidestepping of human rights and medical ethics and, in so doing, allowed sex testing regulations to persist.

Navigating contraceptive induced menstrual changes

22 April, 2024

Written by Gunjan Khorgade, Snehal Sinha and Pramila Sharma, Action Research and Training for Health (ARTH) “It feels good when your periods stop. You don’t have to worry while travelling, you become tension-free”, said 35-year-old Fefli Bai1 with a smile, triggering peals of infectious laughter among the assembled women. On World Contraception Day (26 Sep […]

The Hidden Impact of Climate Change on Adolescents’ Sexual and Reproductive Health

18 April, 2024

Climate change, a global crisis, significantly affects diverse aspects of human life. While the direct environmental impacts of climate change are widely acknowledged, its hidden impact on adolescents receives less attention but is equally worrisome.

Black Maternal Health Week 2024 – ‘Our Bodies STILL Belong to US: Reproductive Justice NOW!’

15 April, 2024

This blog is dedicated to Black Maternal Health Week 2024, discussing the challenges and scope for progress in the context of Black SRHR and inequalities.

Empowering Adolescents: The Imperative of Integrating Trauma-Informed Approaches into Comprehensive Sexuality Education

15 April, 2024

Integrating trauma-informed approaches into comprehensive sexuality education for adolescents is a complex endeavour. Going forward, we need to improve and expand CSE programmes considering different perspectives.

Impact of Restrictive IVF Policies on Comprehensive Cancer Care

8 April, 2024

A cancer diagnosis comes with plenty of life-altering and emotional choices. Patients wrestling with the dual weight of cancer treatment and fertility loss needn’t be further bogged down by political debate. By Bridget Kelly, Bhakthi Sahgal, and Ornsiree Junchaya, George Washington University

Collaborating for Improved Sexual and Reproductive Health for Adolescent Refugees and Migrants Worldwide

2 April, 2024

This blog explores how the complex and multifaceted SRHR needs of adolescent refugees and migrants can be effectively addressed.

International Transgender Day of Visibility

31 March, 2024

March 31 marks the International Transgender Day of Visibility. Click to see articles published by SRHM on the status and progress on transgender SRHR, from the last 10 years.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters in Brazil

29 March, 2024

This blog provides crucial insights on the status, progress, and challenges that need to be overcome to ensure safe and inclusive sexual and reproductive health and rights in Brazil.

The (feminist) joy of abortion work

28 March, 2024

Today, on the Global Day of Action to Destigmatise Abortions, we can reflect on how we talk about abortions in our communities. The ability to choose our reproductive destinies, and support others to do so, can be a source of great promise, freedom, and even joy.

Questions de santé sexuelle et reproductive: un numéro spécial de six articles scientifiques révèle des aspects peu connus des droits en santé sexuelle et reproductive au Bénin, au Burkina Faso et au Maroc

11 March, 2024

A special collection comprising six scientific articles unveils lesser-known facets of sexual and reproductive health rights across Benin, Burkina Faso, and Morocco.

Breaking the Silence: Empowering Women with Disabilities in Uganda’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Landscape

8 March, 2024

On International Women’s Day 2024, this blog emphasizes that the voices of women with disabilities in Uganda’s sexual and reproductive health (SRH) landscape demand to be heard. Tailored interventions are essential to address their unique needs and experiences based on their identities, ensuring inclusivity in SRH initiatives.

The neglected aspects of reproductive health and rights of U.S immigrants

28 February, 2024

Immigrants to the U.S face a myriad of neglected challenges that can impact their reproductive health and rights. Health professionals, among other community leaders, are uniquely positioned to take action to advocate for immigrants and to negotiate with policy makers to advance immigrants’ rights, especially in area of politics and challenging immigration policies in the U.S. Such actions have the potential to change the trajectory and assure reproductive rights in the U.S. that can extend for generations to come.

Standing up to attacks on Comprehensive Sexuality Education

9 February, 2024

In response to an eruption of attacks on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in the UK in the spring of 2023, UN agencies and medical professional associations coming together to build support and to stand up to attacks on CSE.

Upcoming funding opportunity on addressing neglected areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights

5 February, 2024

International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and other funding partners are announcing a new initiative, Addressing Neglected Areas of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa (ANSRHRA), to support gender transformative implementation research in Sub-Sahara Africa.

Reclaiming African Leadership to end FGM/C

5 February, 2024

By exploring the history of the fight against FGM/C, this blog aim is to inspire African changemakers to reclaim the legacy of past generations. Celebrating past initiatives led by Africans will strengthen their rightful role as leaders in the forefront of continuous endeavors to enable change in their communities and beyond.

Battling Misinformation and Disinformation: SRHR in the Digital Age

26 January, 2024

This one-hour virtual event brought together key actors who discussed how they address misinformation and disinformation impacting sexual and reproductive health and rights, including strategies to ensure that the transformative potential of technology can support agency, bodily autonomy and decision-making for all individuals.

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

26 January, 2024

SRHM has been publishing relevant research and analysis in relation to cervical cancer for the past 30 years. In this blog, find summaries of the 2023 papers on cervical cancer as well as a list of further reading from the SRHM journal from the previous 5 years. Sound, evidence-based and rights-grounded knowledge is of critical importance to the decisions to be made and the actions to be taken to improve SRHR for all. Now, more than ever.

End of year message 2023

18 December, 2023

Dear SRHR and SRHM community, We are most grateful for all the support and solidarity that the SRHR community has provided to SRHM over this year. Due to this support we are celebrating our renewed commitment to provide thought leadership in the SRHR field. Today, as the field faces challenges that threaten to turn back […]

Digital Justice and Sexual and Reproductive health and rights

14 December, 2023

What measures are needed to safegueard human rights for SRH in the digital space? Which mechanisms can advance legal, social and health systems accountability?  The webinar, held on 6 December 2023, brought conversations together around evidence and policy considerations for a strong call for the adoption of social justice and rights-based frameworks related to the development, adoption, […]

75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights are Human Rights

9 December, 2023

On the occasion of the 75th Human Rights Day on 10 December 2023, SRHM calls for the ongoing respect, protection and fulfilment of sexual and reproductive health and rights as human rights. The 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), together with the upcoming anniversaries of ICPD+ 30 and Bejing +30, unite […]

Re-thinking criminalization: what are better ways to protect the rights of young people?

30 October, 2023

At home, in school, and in public spaces, young people are always told that they have limited freedoms and rights for their own protection. This can include restrictions on mobility outside the house and without a guardian, on using the internet, on seeking information, on interacting with people of another gender, on dressing the way […]

Menstrual Health in a Post-Roe Landscape

15 October, 2023

Menstrual Health in the U.S. Menstrual health is an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of reproductive autonomy. It encompasses the physical, mental, and social well-being of those who menstruate. Achieving good menstrual health requires access to accurate information, effective and affordable materials, hygienic facilities, a supportive social environment, and the freedom to participate in all […]

Webinar: Donor funding for SRHR advocacy

30 September, 2023

On 27 September 2023, SRHM hosted a webinar to launch the special journal issue ‘Donor funding for SRHR advocacy’. We were joined by over 100 participants from around the world. Expert speakers discussed effective resource mobilization for SRHR movement-building and advocacy, giving overviews and insights from their papers published in the special issue. While recent […]

Spain’s Constitutional Court’s Recent Decision Paves the Way for Further Advances in the Reproductive Justice Space

22 July, 2023

Written by Jovana Ríos Cisnero, Executive Director, Women’s Link Worldwide The recent decision by Spain’s Constitutional court to affirm the right of women and gender-diverse people to access abortion on demand up to 14 weeks is a significant move towards greater freedom to choose whether to stay pregnant. It comes in the wake of 13 […]

The UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights Strongly Condemns the Passage of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023

13 June, 2023

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 directly promotes hatred and violence against LGBTQ persons – it violates human rights and will seriously undermine Uganda’s response to HIV and AIDS. On May 29, 2023, the President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law –becoming one of the most draconian and restrictive anti-LGBTQ laws globally. We, public health […]

The Personal is Political: Re-imagining Data Governance in the context of Digital Health

20 April, 2023

While digital technology has the potential to revolutionise healthcare, it can also exacerbate gender inequalities, deepen marginalisation, and enable human rights violations. In a world where our physical and digital identities are increasingly intertwined, bodily autonomy must include control over personal data. However, this remains elusive to women, girls and those identifying as other genders, especially […]

Are We Really “Decolonizing” Global Health?

22 January, 2023

Written by Jyotika Rimal, Advocacy Officer, Menstrual Health/ Hygiene Partners’ Alliance (MHMPA) Nepal  When the pandemic hit the whole world, everyone realized that global health needs to be “decolonized”. However, in the last few years that this topic has been somewhat creating a buzz, nothing much seems to have changed apart from many individuals coming […]

Meet the editors: digital technology and sexual and reproductive health and rights

29 November, 2022

In November 2022, we hosted a webinar with the editors from our call for papers on digital technology and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Together, they offered insight into the theme of the call for papers and the submission process. Watch the recording below. Moderator: Eszter Kismődi, SRHM Chief Executive Speakers: Emma Pitchforth, SRHM […]

Good sexual and reproductive health services on paper, but implementation gaps remain

10 November, 2022

Authors of the paper titled A qualitative exploration of the salience of MTV-Shuga, an edutainment programme, and adolescents’ engagement with sexual and reproductive health information in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa examine the extent to which an edutainment programme, MTV-Shuga, was reported to influence young people’s engagement with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information in rural […]

Engaging boys and addressing masculinities in comprehensive sex education reaps benefits for both adolescent boys and girls: Results from the Jack Trial

3 November, 2022

Written by Professor Maria Lohan, Professor of Social Science and Health, Queen’s University Belfast  If I were Jack is a new comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) programme designed to engage boys and address masculinities. The programme has proven to be successful in helping both adolescent boys and girls avoid an unintended pregnancy. If I were Jack […]

Sex Tech for Sexual Health, Rights and Justice: Findings from the first Public Interest Sex Tech Hackathon

1 September, 2022

Written by Zahra Stardust, Kath Albury and Jenny Kennedy, researchers at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision Making and Society.   Sex tech includes a diverse range of products from sex therapy apps, sex education chatbots, dating apps, sexual entertainment platforms, smart vibrators, teledildonics, menstrual tracking apps, virtual companions and AI-powered […]

Pleasure and Pride

22 July, 2022

Written by Anne Philpott, Founder and Co-Director of The Pleasure Project, and Amanda Kamanda, researcher, transgender activist, and intern at The Pleasure Project On July 2nd, the ‘Pride in London’ march and festival drew more than a million people to celebrate the diversity and advancements of the LGBTQI communities in the UK. It was a […]

Abortion safety: no longer coat hangers and backstreets, but pills, hotlines, and collectives?

8 July, 2022

Written by Dr Rishita Nandagiri, Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science In early May 2022, the leaked US Supreme Court draft opinion calling for an overturn of Roe v. Wade was swiftly met with an avalanche of anger at the continued attack on abortion and reproductive rights. The leaked opinion galvanised […]

Medical Students Dissent Against Overturning of Roe vs. Wade

6 July, 2022

Written by Snigdha Chigurupati, Sophia Cordes, Hannah Kralles, Sophie Kurschner, Rachel Nassau, Priya Sathyanarayan – a group of medical students in Washington, DC, USA   On June 24, 2022, women and people who are able to get pregnant were stripped of one of their most fundamental human rights: their right to bodily autonomy. The Supreme […]

What just happened?: Abortion in the U.S. after Roe – Podcast transcript

5 July, 2022

This blog post is the transcript from an episode of the SRHM Podcast titled What just happened?: Abortion in the U.S. after Roe with Mindy Jane Roseman, Elizabeth Nash and Rachel Rebouché. The SRHM Podcast is available for free on all major platforms.   [Introductory music] Hi Everyone and welcome to the SRHM Podcast. My name is […]

Challenging the notion of evidence: bringing rights into SRHR research

10 May, 2022

In May 2022, SRHM held a symposium in New Delhi and online with the aim to create space for dialogue on: Deconstructing the notion and hierarchy of evidence Pushing methodological boundaries in SRHR research Questioning what constitutes “evidence-based”, a “researcher”, and what is “scientifically appropriate” Questioning power in research and ensuring participation Topics covered included […]

After more than 500 days of deliberation, Colombia decriminalizes abortion

31 March, 2022

Written by María Mercedes Vivas, Executive Director of the Orientame Foundation in Colombia On the 21st of February, after more than 500 days of deliberation the Constitutional Court in Colombia ruled to decriminalize, under any circumstance, abortion up to 24 weeks of gestation. This enormous victory is the result of a lawsuit presented by Causa Justa, […]

Sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice in the war against Ukraine 2022

14 March, 2022

Eszter Kismödi,a Emma Pitchforthb Chief Executive, Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, Geneva, Switzerland Executive Editor, Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, London, UK. Correspondence: [email protected] *This editorial has been published in the SRHM Journal. It is available here.   While campaigning for sexual and reproductive health and rights remains a day-to-day concern, wars, such as the […]

Poetry for sexual and reproductive justice

10 March, 2022

Following a call for poetry, SRHM launched a poetry fair on sexual and reproductive justice. Of the 107 submissions, our Selection Committee invited 57 poets to publish their poems in SRHM’s anthology. To celebrate the release of the complete collection, on 8 March 2022 five guest poets shared their poems and how they came to […]

Trans Reproductive Justice – podcast transcript

1 February, 2022

This blog post is the transcript from an episode of the SRHM Podcast titled Trans Reproductive Justice with Avery Everhart, Blas Radi and A.J. Lowik. The SRHM Podcast is available for free on all major platforms. [Introductory music] Hi everyone and welcome to the SRHM Podcast. My name is Nina Sun and I am an […]

Alternative solution to an entrenched problem

19 January, 2022

Written by Swastika Shrestha, Research Officer at Birat Nepal Medical Trust in Nepal and co-author of the research article Feasibility of HPV self-sampling pathway in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal using a human-centred design approach “What’s in a name?” Shakespeare famously quoted. However, turns out- there is more to a name than one might think. When I […]

Zumbambico : the artist behind the cover

18 January, 2022

Isabel Zuluaga Mesa, best known under her artist name Zumbambico, is a Colombian illustrator whose drawing titled Fuerza (which translates to Strength) is featured on the cover of the SRHM Open Issue 2022. The text below was written by Zumbambico. What was the inspiration behind the illustration Fuerza? What inspired Fuerza are women and our […]

Launch of SRHM’s poetry collection on sexual and reproductive justice

11 December, 2021

Following our recent call for poetry, we launched a poetry collection with sexual and reproductive health experts, professionals, and activists who are also poets. The panel talked about how poetry can be a powerful means of expression and can serve as a bridge between personal experiences and political activism and advocacy for the advancement of […]

Investigating what constitutes a positive contraceptive experience

24 November, 2021

Written by Sophie Butcher, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Edinburgh; Molly Gilmour, Department of Sociology, University of Glasgow; Federica Cucé, Department of Medicine, University of Padova; Elise Kearsey, Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh; Ruwa Mahdi, Department of Social Science and Public Policy, King’s College London; and Kehinde Whyte-Ilori, School of […]

New Evidence Offers Blueprint to Accelerate Family Planning Immediately After Pregnancy

12 November, 2021

Written by Siti Nurul Qomariyah, Research and Evaluation Director, Jhpiego Indonesia and Michael Muthamia, Senior Technical Officer, Jhpiego Kenya  A woman’s right to use family planning throughout her reproductive years should be valued, protected, and secured—especially in the period of time right after giving birth or losing a baby. This right is enshrined in numerous […]

Texas abortion ban: what it means and what happens next

21 October, 2021

On October 20, SRHM hosted a webinar where we discussed the Texas abortion ban, the strategies being pursued to stop its enforcement and the ban’s implications for sexual and reproductive health and rights in the US and beyond. Context On September 1, the state of Texas implemented Senate Bill 8 (SB8) banning abortion after six […]

Human Rights and the Fight Against Retrogression in the U.S.

13 October, 2021

Written by Risa E. Kaufman, Director, U.S. Human Rights, Center for Reproductive Rights As the threat of U.S. retrogression on abortion rights increases, so do demands for human rights. This year, state legislatures throughout the United States enacted historic numbers of abortion restrictions and bans. Texas Senate Bill 8 illustrates the extreme nature of these […]

Sexual Happiness & Disability: Making Fulfilling Sex Accessible for All

20 July, 2021

Written by the Lovehoney Sex Experts team based on interviews with Andrew Gurza, the Chief Disability Officer at Handi. There are many health conditions that can impact mobility, including age-related mobility issues which will be experienced by nearly everyone. Having a disability doesn’t change our desire to have our sexual needs met. Globally, we need […]

Adolescents and Sexual Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

1 June, 2021

Written by Lucy Guan, Master of Public Health student at Columbia University with an interest in sexuality and reproductive health. Comprehensive sexual education and conversations with adolescents about sexual pleasure and intimacy are even more important during and after the COVID-19 pandemic than they were before, especially as the return to a new normal may […]

Accountability in sexual and reproductive health and rights research

18 May, 2021

On May 17, 2021, we hosted a webinar on accountability as part of a dialogue series on rights-based research and knowledge creation for sexual and reproductive health. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) laws, policies and programmes across the world are increasingly influenced by ideologically-inspired politics and rhetoric, which lack any basis of evidence, […]

Talking Taboo: Can Female Masturbation Be Good For Reproductive Health?

10 May, 2021

Written by Jessica Bo, a blogger and women’s rights advocate with a special interest in reproductive health and sexuality The topic of female masturbation can still kindle conversational sparks, arguably because it is still taboo for some. Messages of empowerment come into direct conflict with cultural and religious views, especially as the act of masturbation […]

New definition urges action on menstrual health for all

5 May, 2021

Authors of the paper titled Menstrual health: a definition for policy, practice, and research published in the SRHM journal argue that the term “menstrual health” has seen increased use across advocacy, programming, policy, and research, but has lacked a consistent, self-contained definition. In response, the authors present a definition of menstrual health developed by the […]

Improving access to high quality Family Planning by putting the ‘Universal’ into ‘UHC Schemes’

23 March, 2021

Written by Matt Boxshall, Anooj Pattnaik, and Nirmala Ravishankar, who work on strategic purchasing for primary health care at ThinkWell. In this blog they review family planning (FP) in universal health coverage (UHC) schemes and argue that the first question we need to ask is “will this reach those most in need?” The global FP […]

The Invisibility of Incarcerated Women: Reproductive Injustice and COVID-19

23 March, 2021

Written by Ira Memaj and Robert Fullilove We recognize that transmen, non-binary people, and people who identify as women also need and have a right to access sexual and reproductive health services. In this blog, we use the term “women” inclusively. Women in jails and prisons are the fastest growing incarcerated population in the U.S. […]

Improvements in Research Needed for Reproductive Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People

12 March, 2021

A review titled Mapping the scientific literature on reproductive health among transgender and gender diverse people: a scoping review published in the SRHM journal indicates that literature on reproductive health in transgender and gender diverse people is limited. The researchers concluded that more studies need to be done, in addition to improvements in study design. […]

Naiza Khan: the artist behind the cover

23 February, 2021

Sapna Desai, SRHM Trustee, interviewed Pakistani artist Naiza Khan whose sculpture is featured on the cover of SRHM’s South Asia regional journal issue. The audio only version of the interview is available here Armour Suit for Rani of Jhansi II © Naiza Khan About the sculpture I have been interested in the notion of female […]

Meet the editors: call for papers on self-care interventions and rights-based access

23 February, 2021

On February 22, we hosted an online event with the editors of our upcoming issue on self-care interventions. The editors spoke about this issue of the journal, the scope of the topic, and the submission process and requirements. They also answered questions from potential authors. The call for papers on self-care interventions and rights-based access […]

Age of consent laws in India restrict access to sexual and reproductive health for young people, says new SRHM article

3 February, 2021

Hard-earned rights are being reversed when restrictive laws criminalize young people’s sexual exploration, according to an article published in the peer-reviewed journal Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM). Since India increased the age of consent from 16 to 18 it triggered a movement – which continues today – criminalizing young people’s sexuality. This protectionist law […]

Grace Cross: the artist behind the cover

27 January, 2021

Eszter Kismődi, SRHM Chief Executive, interviewed South African artist Grace Cross whose painting is featured on the cover of the SRHM 2021 Open Issue. The audio only version of the interview is available here Grace Cross is a Zimbabwe born material painter who draws symbols from feminism, motherhood, home, and belief structures. Cross’s art is […]

Le déploiement de la planification familiale gratuite au Burkina Faso améliore le choix, mais qui va payer ?

26 January, 2021

This blog is also available in English. Écrit par: Matt Boxshall (ThinkWell), Sarah Straubinger (ThinkWell), Kadidia Dissa Boro (ThinkWell Burkina Faso), Pierre-Marie Metangmo (ThinkWell Burkina Faso) Malgré de nombreux défis concurrents, le gouvernement du Burkina Faso continue de démontrer son engagement en faveur des droits à la santé sexuelle et reproductive. En juillet 2020, le […]

Rolling out free family planning in Burkina Faso is improving choice, but who will pay?

20 January, 2021

This blog is also available in French. Ce blog est disponible en français. Written by Matt Boxshall (ThinkWell), Sarah Straubinger (ThinkWell), Kadidia Dissa Boro (ThinkWell Burkina Faso), Pierre-Marie Metangmo (ThinkWell Burkina Faso) Despite many competing challenges, the Government of Burkina Faso continues to demonstrate its commitment to sexual and reproductive health rights. In July 2020, […]

End of year message and season’s greetings from SRHM

22 December, 2020

2020 is a year we will remember! The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world as we knew it and challenged public health policies, global health institutions, local health systems, and people’s lives in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights. Globally, we experienced the need for evidence-based information to be the driving force behind the […]

We’re missing the full picture in reproductive choice

14 December, 2020

Written by Andrea Sprockett, Chief Operating Officer at Metrics for Management. She is also passionate about equitable health service delivery. Despite widespread recognition that reproductive health should embrace the full range of choices including contraception, antenatal and postnatal care, and safe abortion, we, as a community, too often fail to include the other side of […]

Burkina Faso and Thailand achieving UHC for Sexual and Reproductive Health

11 December, 2020

SRHM themed issue, Universal Health Coverage: sexual and reproductive rights in focus explores the promises and limitations of universal health coverage for sexual and reproductive health and rights, with special attention to rights-based perspectives. THE BELOW IS TAKEN FROM COVERAGE OF THE SRHM ISSUE IN THE WHO NEWSROOM https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/burkina-faso-and-thailand-achieving-uhc-for-sexual-and-reproductive-health   When sexual and reproductive health services […]

Ending Unsafe Abortion in the tribal areas of Balochistan, Pakistan

10 December, 2020

Written by Gul Meena, Program Manager with YAD Pakistan The Youth Association for Development, YAD Pakistan, is a civil society initiative which has been working in Balochistan from 2005. Sexual and reproductive health and rights is a major thematic area of work including maternal health, access to safe abortion and ending early and forced marriages, […]

Abortion politics in Poland: a conversation about the Constitutional Tribunal’s decision with Wanda Nowicka, Member of the Polish Parliament & SRHM Editorial Advisory Board

11 November, 2020

On 22 October 2020, the Polish government ruled in favour of a near total ban on abortions – even though the country already had one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. The ban would apply to cases of severe fetal anomaly which account for 98% of abortions carried out in Poland. The controversial court […]

The impact of the global Gag Rule on women and girls worldwide

6 November, 2020

The SRHM special issue in collaboration with Columbia University, Exporting Harm: the impact of the Global Gag Rule on sexual and reproductive health and rights includes case studies from Madagascar, Nepal and Kenya as well as commentaries on the policy’s effects. The research published in this issue has been feature in various news sources. CNN: […]

Exporting Harm: Impact of the expanded Global Gag Rule on sexual and reproductive health and rights

21 October, 2020

On October 21, 2020, we launched our latest special issue in collaboration with Columbia University: Exporting Harm: Impact of the expanded Global Gag Rule on sexual and reproductive health and rights. The webinar included presentations from Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA) in Nepal, African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) […]

Protecting girls from sexual violence in schools: recognizing their rights to education, health and autonomy

14 October, 2020

In August 2020, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights decided the case of Paola Guzmán Albarracín v. Ecuador, which establishes standards to protect girls from sexual violence and harassment in schools. The ruling also holds Ecuador responsible for failing to protect an adolescent student from the sexual violence she suffered in school. The Court’s judgment, […]

L’Afrique Francophone: Quelles priorites en sante sexuelle et reproductive?

8 October, 2020

Le 8 octobre, Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM) et l’association Ensemble pour la Santé de la Reproduction (ESR) ont organisé un webinaire pour le lancement de la nouvelle édition de la revue SRHM francophone « Questions de Santé Sexuelle et Reproductive ». Le thème de cette dernière est : L’Afrique Francophone : Quelles priorités […]

Looking back and pushing forward: Radically shifting how we work, learn, and think  about sexual and reproductive health globally

2 October, 2020

Written by Emily Harris, a Master of Public Health student at the University of Waterloo. She also holds a Master of Arts in globalization and international development with a concentration in women’s studies. She is passionate about the intersection of health and reproductive rights and has worked in different capacities with institutions that aim to promote […]

Couples’ Contraceptive Behavior and COVID-19: Understanding the Impact of the Pandemic on Demand and Access

24 September, 2020

Written by Sneha Sharma, Senior Research and Program Associate (ICRW ASIA); Sharmishtha Nanda, Technical Specialist (ICRW ASIA); Kuhika Seth, Technical Specialist (ICRW ASIA); Aishwarya Sahay, Research Associate (ICRW ASIA) and Pranita Achyut, Director-Research and Programs (ICRW ASIA)[1] Our lives have radically changed since the onset of the pandemic at the beginning of the year. COVID-19 […]

Adolescent Girls and Young Women Have a Right to Know: Accessing Information on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the Wake of Covid-19

24 September, 2020

Written by Kerigo Odada, human rights lawyer who specialises in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and currently serves as a Board Member of The Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights. For many adolescent girls and young women around the world, adolescence marks not only the commencement of puberty, but also a time where […]

Accessing safe abortion services amid the COVID-19 pandemic

23 September, 2020

In commemoration of Safe Abortion Day on September 28, this blog signposts some of the papers that have appeared in the SRHM journal on abortion during the COVID-19 pandemic.   As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spread around the globe and healthcare systems faced unprecedented demand, many experts warned of the possible consequences this crisis could […]

Francophone Africa: What priorities in sexual and reproductive health?

22 September, 2020

In September 2020, SRHM partners, the Moroccan non-governmental organisation All for Reproductive Health/Ensemble pour la Santé Sexuelle et Reproductive (ESR) and the National School of Public Health (ENSP), published the 6th edition of the French SRHM Journal – Questions de Santé Sexuelle et Reproductive. Read the journal issue here   One month prior to the […]

Ethics in Sexual and Reproductive Health Research during COVID-19

14 September, 2020

The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated the need to collect most up to date and evidence-based information on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), that can help governments and others to respond to the challenging and emerging situation. However, ethical considerations in SRHR research, such as setting priorities, respecting confidentiality, privacy, informed consent, being inclusive […]

Sexual Pleasure in Times of COVID-19

4 September, 2020

For World Sexual Health Day on September 4, SRHM, in collaboration with the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) and The Pleasure Project, co-organized a webinar on sexual pleasure in times of COVID-19. Watch the recording below. SPEAKERS Anne Philpott, The Pleasure Project Dr. T Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health Vithika […]

As COVID-19 soars in Latin America, digital innovations offer women and girls a lifeline

20 August, 2020

Written by Pilar Montalvo, Senior Program Officer, Planned Parenthood Global Latin America Program   When Elena* first realized she was pregnant, her first reaction was fear. Not the nervous jitters experienced by many first-time parents—but true terror. Her domestic partner, who had forbidden her to use contraception, was using drugs and was prone to violence […]

How covid-19 increased the need for family planning in India

11 August, 2020

A paper titled Impact of covid-19 on family planning services in India, published in the SRHM journal said the figures paint a grim picture of limited family planning service provision and increase in unmet need for family planning. THE BELOW IS TAKEN FROM COVERAGE OF THE SRHM PAPER IN LIVEMINT.COM https://www.livemint.com/news/india/how-covid-19-increased-the-need-for-family-planning-in-india-11594800689091.html   NEW DELHI: At a time […]

Interview with SRHM’s Editor in Chief: Dr Julia Hussein

23 July, 2020

Julia Hussein – Editor in Chief Julia has 30 years of professional experience as an obstetrician, public health practitioner, development worker, researcher, writer and scientific editor. She has worked with non-government organizations, universities, funding agencies, governments and the United Nations in several countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. She now prefers […]

Struggles for reproductive rights: strategies for de-stigmatizing abortion in Ireland and Poland

20 July, 2020

Written by Elżbieta Korolczuk and Pauline Cullen Anti-abortion groups often claim that their aim is to protect women from the alleged negative consequences of abortion, but in practice, they continuously stigmatize women who undergo this procedure. In anti-abortion propaganda, abortion is portrayed as a deviation from the norm, as something shameful and immoral, or as […]

Same-sex marriage: Costa Rica celebrates while Chile backs down

9 July, 2020

Written by Dinka Benítez Piraino On May 26, 2020, same-sex civil marriage came into effect in Costa Rica, becoming the first country in Central America and one of 29 countries in the world to recognize it. In contrast, nearly 30 countries around the world punish lesbianism and homosexuality with prison sentences and even death. In […]

Africa’s policies hold key to LGBT rights on the continent: here’s how

7 July, 2020

As authors concluded in their recent SRHM paper, Regional legal and policy instruments for addressing LGBT exclusion in Africa, regional policy documents such as “The African Charter” offer African countries that don’t protect LGBT rights the basis to draft domestic legislation as the first step to protection to all. The below is taken from coverage […]

Self Managed: A New Podcast Mobilizes Digital Storytelling to Destigmatize & Demystify Self Managed Abortion

29 June, 2020

Written by Anna Reed, J.D. candidate at the Georgetown University Law Center and current intern at SRHM. Anna is one of the Executive Producers of Self Managed, a new podcast dedicated to destigmatizing and demystifying the practice of self-managed abortion.   The hem of my dressy pants is coming undone, I notice, as I screech […]

Protecting contraceptive access amidst COVID-19; don’t let the past divert us from meeting today’s needs

16 June, 2020

By John Skibiak John Skibiak is the Director of the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, the world’s largest voluntary network of reproductive health organizations, working with health systems, manufacturers, distributors, providers and educators to increase access to a range of quality-assured, affordable contraceptive methods.   Women should have access to the contraception they need, when they […]

Universal Health Coverage and SRHR during COVID-19 and beyond

15 June, 2020

On Monday 15 June 2020, SRHM hosted a webinar to discuss the new reality of achieving SRHR in universal health coverage (UHC) during COVID-19 and beyond. In the current political climate, achieving universal health coverage for sexual and reproductive health and rights, particularly in the context of rights, can be challenging. The current COVID-19 pandemic […]

COVID-19 increases vulnerabilities for asylum seeking and refugee women in South Africa

9 June, 2020

Written by Jane Freedman, Tamaryn Crankshaw and Marcia Mutambara Our recent article in SRHM highlighted the vulnerabilities of asylum seeking and refugee women in South Africa to gender-based violence, and their lack of access to sexual and reproductive health services. The current COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to significantly worsen these women’s situation and leave […]

Sharing Menstruation Stories to Promote Human Rights

28 May, 2020

Written by Ellen McCammon Managing menstruation in India can be difficult. It may be marked by challenges with obtaining, cleaning, storing, and disposing of menstrual supplies, and insufficiently private, safe, and clean bathrooms [1]. In addition to the logistical and resource-based difficulties with managing the physical experience of menstruation, there are also emotional, and psychological […]

OPTions Hackathon: Fueling innovation for next generation methods of abortion

28 May, 2020

Novel methods of abortion could benefit women worldwide, however abortion largely remains an untapped field of innovation. Currently there are two main methods of abortion, manual vacuum aspiration and medical abortion. The introduction of medical abortion (mifepristone and misoprostol) revolutionized abortion care, providing women greater autonomy and ease of abortion administration; yet, it still has […]

The Law and Self-Managed Abortion during COVID19 and Beyond

26 May, 2020

Written by Patty Skuster, Senior Legal Advisor, Ipas While governments around the world reform laws to make abortion less restrictive, self-managed abortion—ending a pregnancy without formal supervision by a health-care provider, often with pills—remains unauthorized in most countries. The Policy Surveillance Program at Temple University School of Law, USA and Ipas released new data that […]

Obstetric Fistula at the time of COVID-19: Let’s not forget those “most left behind”!

23 May, 2020

Written by Erin Anastasi, Coordinator, Campaign to End Fistula & Technical Specialist at UNFPA in New York, USA and Kevin Nalubwama, fistula survivor, Midwifery student, journalist, Operation Fistula Expert Client Advisor and informal advisor to the Campaign to End Fistula in Kampala, Uganda Alone, uncertain and afraid, this crisis alienating and isolating them at the […]

The Mess in Texas: Litigating COVID-19 Abortion Restrictions

18 May, 2020

Rachel Rebouché & Adrienne Ghorashi Over the last six weeks, abortion access in the state of Texas has been unclear at best and unavailable at worst. Dueling court orders between a federal trial court and the region’s federal appeals court lifted the suspension of almost all abortions – deemed by the state as “non-essential” healthcare […]

The impact of Covid-19 on young people’s access to contraceptives and contraceptive services

5 May, 2020

Kerigo Odada is a human rights lawyer based in South Africa, specialising in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Africa at the Centre for Human Rights-University of Pretoria.  She currently serves as a Board Member of The Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights   The Novel Coronavirus, known as COVID -19 has disrupted […]

SETTING UP AN SRHM SOUTH ASIA REGIONAL HUB AND REGIONAL JOURNAL EDITION: ADVANCING RIGHTS AND EVIDENCE-BASED KNOWLEDGE CREATION LOCALLY

7 April, 2020

Written by Shreshtha Das, Consultant for SRHM Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM, formerly Reproductive Health Matters) has long been considered as a truly global open access peer-reviewed Journal.  It has, however, always been much more than a journal. A broader commitment has been manifested in the translation of selected papers into seven language editions […]

Covid 19: a wake-up call to eliminate barriers to SRHR

31 March, 2020

Written by Christina Zampas, human rights lawyer and Associate Director of Global Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights Barriers to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services have always existed but the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the stark reality of these barriers. The general population across the globe is now experiencing what […]

Covid-19: What implications for sexual and reproductive health and rights?

27 March, 2020

On Friday 27 March 2020, SRHM hosted a webinar on the implications for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the era of Covid-19. We were moved by the coming together of the SRHR community during this time to discuss the situations being faced by vulnerable and key populations and the actions that are […]

Covid-19 Shines a Light on South Africa’s Stark Inequalities

24 March, 2020

Written by Sarah Pugh, Independent Consultant, Cape Town, South Africa On Sunday, 15 March, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national State of Disaster, encompassing measures such as visa bans, travel restrictions, school closures and the restriction of gatherings over 100 people. The first case of the novel coronavirus Covid-19 was reported on 5 […]

Malta’s medical doctors: No to total ban on abortion

21 February, 2020

Contrary to the long-held general perception that most doctors in Malta support the current legislation, the SRHM study, Abortion and methods of reproductive planning: the views of Malta’s medical doctor cohort, provides evidence that this is not the case The below is taken from an article covering the SRHM paper in Malta Today by Gilbert […]

The time is NOW: an urgent call to action on the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development

18 February, 2020

The International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in 1994 agreed to a visionary Programme of Action that was well ahead of its time. Women’s human rights advocates were the drivers of this paradigm shift, and since that time, have been the torch bearers of the ICPD Programme of Action. Together with supportive […]

Grant Opportunity: Innovations that put women in control of where, when, and how they terminate their pregnancy

10 February, 2020

“Women’s rights are human rights. This includes sexual and reproductive rights — and the right to access safe and legal abortions.” Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy  Unsafe abortion is one of the top causes of global maternal mortality, and it is entirely preventable. Every year, there are more than 25 million unsafe abortions, resulting in […]

Early Abortion Bans: A new wave of anti-abortion strategy and tactics

19 January, 2020

On Thursday 16 January 2020 SRHM held a webinar to discuss a new wave of anti-abortion strategy and tactics that has been sweeping across the United States and has begun influencing anti-abortion strategy globally. In this webinar, we welcomed Dabney Evans and Subasri Narasimhan to introduce their paper, “A narrative analysis of anti-abortion testimony and legislative debate […]

Pro-lifers exploiting civil rights struggles in bid to ban abortions, says new SRHM research

7 January, 2020

Press release by Taylor and Francis Read the media coverage by TIME, Newsweek, and The American Prospect. New research launches as state legislatures begin reconvening where bans are likely to be introduced Anti-abortionists ‘appropriating’ laws that protect same-sex couples and Black citizens   Pro-lifers are using civil rights protections to lobby against early abortions, according to research published in […]

END OF YEAR MESSAGE AND SEASONS GREETINGS FROM SRHM

19 December, 2019

It has been a year of significant achievements for SRHM and for the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) community as a whole. Along with the SRHR community, in 2019 we commemorated the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development, culminating in the Nairobi ICPD25 summit in November. We acknowledge and […]

Human Rights Day: Calling for a greater sense of accountability for SRHR

10 December, 2019

On Human Rights Day 2019, SRHM is calling for a greater sense of accountability for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all, backed by a growing research and evidence base on gender equality and human rights. Together we can further advance a progressive SRHR agenda, providing the greatest hope and a powerful bulwark […]

Women in Nepal still forced to sleep outside in ‘menstruation huts’, despite practice being criminalised, finds SRHM study

10 December, 2019

    Press release by Taylor and Francis Despite being criminalised in 2018, an estimated 77% of girls in mid-Western Nepal are still being forced to sleep outside in “menstruation huts” during their period, according to a new study published today in Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters. All around the world, girls and women suffer […]

ICPD25 CALL TO ACTION : Accelerating the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women and girls with disabilities

5 December, 2019

This-Ability Trust in collaboration with Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM), Making it Work, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Canadian High Commission conducted a one day consultative forum to deliberate the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls with disabilities, the status of universal health coverage and opportunities to advance their […]

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

25 November, 2019

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign that takes place each year. It commences on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.  The extent of violence against women and girls across the world is alarming and is […]

Domestic political alliances with conservative forces in the US is costing women their health at home and abroad

18 November, 2019

THE BMJ OPINION Domestic political alliances with conservative forces in the US is costing women their health at home and abroad The Trump administration’s ideological commitment to the domestic anti-abortion lobby is endangering women across the Americas, say Hani Serag et al   SRHM article, Power and Politics in International Funding for Reproductive Health: the […]

Forum on SRHR and Disability during the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25

18 November, 2019

2019 marks the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). SRHM joined ministers, thought-leaders, grassroots organizations, academics and others at the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 between 12 and 14 November. This-Ability Trust, in partnership with Sexual Reproductive Health Matters and Humanity & Inclusion’s Making it Work project, with support from the United […]

ICPD25: Accelerating accountability for SRHR

8 November, 2019

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, where 179 governments adopted a landmark Programme of Action which set out to empower women and girls for their sake, and for the benefit of their families, communities and nations. We have made incredible gains since then, but […]

Interview with the author – Beyond Virtue and Vice: Rethinking Human Rights and Criminal Law

27 October, 2019

Eszter Kismődi, Chief Executive of Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM) interviews Mindy Roseman, Director of International Law Programs and Director of the Gruber Program for Global Justice and Women’s Rights at Yale Law, and SRHM associate editor, about her new book, Beyond Virtue and Vice: Rethinking Human Rights and Criminal Law. The book engages […]

Infanticide: A question of government accountability for providing contraception and safe abortion services

22 October, 2019

Written by: Soukeyna Diallo, Juriste, Member, Comité de plaidoyer pour l’accès à l’avortement médicalisé, and l’Association des Juristes Sénégalaises; Heidi Moseson, Epidemiologist & Associate, Ibis Reproductive Health Ramatou Ouedraogo, Post-doctoral research scholar/Anthropologist, African Population Health Research Center Amy Sakho, Chargée de Programmes et de Communication, Association des Juristes Sénégalaises; Coordonnatrice, Comité de plaidoyer pour l’accès […]

Pleasurable sex as a human right: an idea that has happily caught up to its constituents

10 October, 2019

Embracing and celebrating pleasure as the fundamental reason why people have sex, and using this as a tool to help them do it safely.

Gender justice perspectives of criminal abortion laws: exploring the connections to universal health coverage

10 October, 2019

On Tuesday 8 October 2019 SRHM held a webinar  to discuss the gender injustice perspectives of criminal abortion laws, the importance of using  public health evidence in challenging criminalization of abortion, and exploring ways to connect these important discourses to the universal health coverage (UHC) agenda.     We welcomed the authors of two important […]

Rights and evidence-based knowledge on safe abortion matters!

27 September, 2019

We are very grateful to Liza Caruana-Finkel for collaborating on this blog post. Liza is a sexual and reproductive health and rights researcher and activist currently based in the UK.   Rights and evidence-based knowledge on safe abortion matters! The 28th of September is International Safe Abortion Day. It is a day of action: when […]

On World Contraception Day we call for the reclassification of emergency contraception

25 September, 2019

Written by Verity Pooke, ESRC PhD Candidate in Social Policy at the University of Kent, and Clare Murphy, Director of External Affairs at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service   The focus of World Contraception Day is to improve awareness of all contraceptive methods available and enable everyone to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive […]

Inside the illegal abortion market: ‘I nearly touched hell’

12 September, 2019

Bhekisisa Health Inside the illegal abortion market: ‘I nearly touched hell’  By Wendy Muperi Zimbabwe’s tight abortion laws aren’t curbing demand, they’re driving them underground — and it’s about to get worse. SRHM article, Perceptions of misoprostol among providers and women seeking post-abortion care in Zimbabwe by M Catherine Maternowska, Alexio Mashu, Precious Moyo, et […]

World Sexual Health Day

4 September, 2019

Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM) has a visible and declared commitment to sexual health and sexual rights.  We firmly believe that the recognition of sexual health and sexual rights cannot be optional in the reality of today’s world. It is central for everyone, and it “Matters”! We are committed to publishing research and evidence, […]

Interview with the author – Cyber Sexy: Rethinking Pornography

3 September, 2019

Eszter Kismődi, Chief Executive of Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM) interviews Richa Kaul Padte on her book Cyber Sexy: Rethinking Pornography. This interview took place at reconference- rethink, reimagine, reboot– a global conference organised by CREA. Cyber Sexy is a book about pornography and online sex cultures in South Asia and beyond and was published on […]

International Surrogacy Forum 2019

19 August, 2019

SRHM has participated at the International Surrogacy Forum held in Cambridge on 27 – 28 June 2019. The Forum explored a range of issues and challenges surrounding the law and practice of national and international surrogacy from a practical perspective. Practitioners, lawmakers, academics and other participants discussed the legal consequences of the rise in surrogacy […]

Joint submission to the Special Rapporteur on compensated gestational surrogacy as the sale of children

8 July, 2019

A group of organizations, academics and individual experts, have expressed collective concerns and endorsed an agreed list of  points about equating surrogacy where there is a monetary exchange to the sale of children in recent reports by the Special Rapporteur. Equating compensated gestational surrogacy as the sale of children is deeply problematic. It mischaracterizes and misapprehends the […]

Strategy meeting on UHC and SRHR

8 July, 2019

SRHM held a dialogue meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) with a focus on rights on May 30th 2019 in New York. The aim of this meeting was to provide a platform for dialogue, joint thinking, analysis, generation of  knowledge  and  action  on the rights based perspectives […]

World Refugee Day: Advancing SRHR in humanitarian crises

20 June, 2019

Each year, the number of people affected by humanitarian emergencies continues to increase. Addressing the sexual and reproductive health needs of people affected by such emergencies is a global issue of critical importance. The respect, protection and fulfilment of sexual and reproductive rights of those affected by humanitarian crisis requires evidence and human rights-based action […]

Where change is possible: the Panzi Model, advocating for holistic, integrated care for survivors of conflict related sexual violence

19 June, 2019

Written by Dominique Vidale-Plaza, Gender Based Violence Specialist, Mukwege Foundation   While the prevention of and response to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) has become a hot-topic issue in recent years, victims still remain largely without access to critical, and in some cases, life-saving assistance. Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly CRSV[1], must cope with […]

The Politics and Possibilities of Scale

15 June, 2019

Written by the Community for Understanding Scale Up (CUSP) Read the recent paper by the authors, On the CUSP: the politics and prospects of scaling social norms change programming How is meaningful impact defined in international development? Does it mean reaching “W” number of people? Conducting “X” trainings? Spending “Y” amount of money? Improving “Z” indicators? […]

Interview with the author – Testosterone: An Unauthorized Biography

11 June, 2019

Eszter Kismődi, Chief Executive of Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM) interviews Katrina Karkazis, anthropologist, bioethicist and SRHM editorial advisory board member, on her upcoming book, Testosterone: An Unauthorized Biography, co-authored with Rebecca Jordan-Young. This interview took place at reconference- rethink, reimagine, reboot– a global conference organised by CREA.  The book will be out in […]

To Bleed or Not to Bleed? Why We Need to Integrate Menstrual Health in our Sexual and Reproductive Health Work

27 May, 2019

By Maria Carmen Punzi (PSI/Europe), Odette Hekster (PSI/Europe), Chelsea Polis (Guttmacher Institute), Rubina Hussain (Guttmacher Institute) and Amanda Berry (Guttmacher Institute) Image by Kimber Beck (www.bimberkeck.com) Menstruation profoundly affects the way women and girls experience life, form their identities and make decisions about their bodies and sexualities. Despite how important menstruation is throughout girls and […]

Framing reproductive justice in the context of institutionalized transphobia globally

20 May, 2019

Written by Naomhán O’Connor, Communications Officer, GATE (Global Action for Trans* Equality) Historically, the movement for reproductive rights and justice hasn’t been the most trans-inclusive space. Reproductive justice is, in essence, about the right to have a child, or to not have a child. For trans and gender diverse people, this goes beyond access to […]

Meet the Midwife: An interview by Ruby Irene Pratka with Mesayi Truye, Ethiopia

5 May, 2019

This interview was conducted by Ruby Irene Pratka, a freelance journalist currently working with Cuso International as a volunteer communications advisor for the Midwives Save Lives (MSL) project in Africa. MSL, a four-year initiative in Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and Tanzania led by Cuso International in partnership with the Canadian Association of […]

Challenges for achieving sexual and reproductive justice in South Africa

2 May, 2019

Written by Marion Stevens, Director, Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition   Reproductive Justice is defined by three principles: The right to have child; the right not to have a child; and the right to parent children in safe and healthy environments. Twenty years after the evolution of the concept in the United States, the government of […]

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

30 April, 2019

April was Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Over the past month we have shared relevant papers from Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM) journal on our social media platforms, with the aim of raising public awareness about sexual assault. We have grouped these papers here for easy access. SRHM acknowledges that sexual assault is not limited […]

SRHM in Chinese

19 April, 2019

Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM) aims to promote laws, policies, research and services that meet women’s sexual and reproductive health needs; to examine experiences, values, issues and information from the point of view of the women whose lives are affected; to motivate improvements in policy, services and practice; and to inspire new thinking and […]

Press release: Current policies to protect girls at risk of genital mutilation are invasive and traumatising, study finds

18 April, 2019

Current policies to protect girls at risk of genital mutilation are invasive and traumatising, study finds Press release by Taylor & Francis Press & Media Relations team. Current policies aimed at protecting European African girls at risk of genital mutilation – including compulsory genital examinations and persistent questioning by police – can be invasive and traumatic for […]

Fecundity in Art

1 April, 2019

Written by Vincent Fauveau, Montpellier, France, former UNFPA adviser for maternal health and rights at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)   TIME FOR CULTURE: A WORLDWIDE TOUR OF REPRESENTATIONS OF FECUNDITY IN ART THROUGH THE AGES AND ACROSS CULTURES   “My professional life has been mostly spent in the area of international maternal and […]

A call to action: SRHR an essential element to achieving universal health coverage

27 March, 2019

Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters has collaborated closely with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) on the development and implementation of a call to action to include SRHR as an essential element to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). Universal health coverage (UHC) is rapidly emerging as an essential framework to promote healthy lives and […]

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and universal health coverage (UHC)

27 March, 2019

On 20 March 2019, Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters co-organised a lunch meeting alongside the the World Health Organisation Policy and Coordination Committee (PCC) meeting with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) and colleagues at the Human Reproduction Programme of WHO (HRP) to discuss sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and […]

The Right To Truth for Intersex People

23 March, 2019

Written by Mauro Cabral Grinspan, Executive Director of GATE, an international organization working on gender identity, sex characteristics and, more broadly, on bodily diversity issues.   One night some years ago, I woke up from a nightmare with a recurrent thought pulsing in my mind. When I was five years old two inguinal hernias had […]

International Women’s Day: Protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights

7 March, 2019

  On International Women’s Day, Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM) recognizes the great strides that have been achieved in securing sexual and reproductive rights for women but also gives recognition to the fragility of these gains and the urgent and ongoing need to continue to fight for those rights. IN A WORLD WHERE SOCIAL […]

Zero Discrimination day: The Elimination of Stigma and Discrimination in Sexual and Reproductive Health Care

28 February, 2019

Zero Discrimination day: The Elimination of Stigma and Discrimination in Sexual and Reproductive Health Care In many countries, laws result in people being treated differently, excluded from essential services or being subject to undue restrictions on how they live their lives, simply because of who they are. Such laws are discriminatory—they deny human rights and […]

Val Resh: Where structure failed, art painted many waves.

15 February, 2019

Reshma Valliappan aka Val Resh is Founder-Director of The Red Door, India. An Ashoka and Ink Fellow, Resh teaches sex-gender education with a focus on empathy and emotional health for boys and girls in community schools. She is also a painter, published writer, mime artist, speaker, and the protagonist of an award-winning documentary ‘A Drop […]

RHM becomes SRHM: Name change Q&A

13 February, 2019

In February 2019, Reproductive Health Matters (RHM) changes its name to Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM). Sexual health and rights have always been a part of the discourse of RHM, and we wished to fully represent the breadth and extensiveness of sexual health and rights, and reproductive health and rights, in our name. We […]

International day of women in science: Experiences of SRHM interns in global health and SRHR

11 February, 2019

11 February marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. We asked our two interns on work experience at SRHM, studying Global Health at the University of Aberdeen, about their experiences as women involved in the research and practice of global health and sexual and reproductive health and rights.   Laetitia Kayitesi As […]

Life from Skin: Gattaca 2.0

6 February, 2019

Written by Judit Sándor, Professor at the Central European University, Budapest, Director of the Center for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine   When a social scientist reads professional articles written by biomedical researchers on stem cells, she always encounters acronyms (such as ES/iPS, PGCs, hES, VSELs, PGCs) by which the various sources of stem cells […]

Is the future of abortion online?

28 January, 2019

RHM article Cytotec in Brazil: ‘At least it doesn’t kill’ (1993) by Margareth Arilha and Regina Maria Barbosa has been cited in two articles in The Conversation: Is the future of abortion online?, and a French article, Avorter « en ligne » pour contourner les législations restrictives (Abortion “online” to circumvent restrictive legislation).  The RHM paper is used to show that long before the […]

The Politics of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

10 January, 2019

RHM co-hosted a panel discussion and reception on the Politics of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights on 6 December 2018 at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The event, which included a celebration of RHM’s 25th anniversary, was well received and attended by a crowd of cheerful, interested people, all eager to learn […]

End of year message and Seasons Greetings from RHM

20 December, 2018

With 2018 coming to a close and a new year almost upon us, this seems a good time to reflect on the events of the year. And what a year it has been for RHM! RHM celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this month in London, joined by supporters and friends, old and new. The panel […]

Family Planning in Humanitarian Crises: Essential, Wanted, Needed and Possible

12 December, 2018

Reproductive Health Matters (RHM) recently attended and exhibited at the fifth International Family Planning Conference in Kigali, Rwanda from 12-15 November 2018. The theme for this year’s conference was “Investing for a Lifetime of Returns.” This year, there was a strong theme of humanitarian crises running through the conference sessions. RHM spoke to several members of the The […]

The Ethics of Genome Editing

7 December, 2018

Written by Judit Sándor, Professor at the Central European University, Budapest, Director of the Center for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine   The Chinese medical researcher, He Jian-kui reported in late November that the first babies had been born with edited genomes. The scientific world seems less than enthusiastic1. The proud scientist announced that Lulu […]

World Aids Day: Eliminating stigma and discrimination

1 December, 2018

In commemoration of the 30th  Anniversary of World AIDS Day, RHM welcomes the news that a Global Partnership for Action to Eliminate All Forms of HIV-related Stigma and Discrimination will be launched on December 10 – Human Rights Day 2018 – and commits to publish and promote research which contributes to the elimination of stigma […]

Mumbai Hospitals’ Darkest Secret on Family Planning Revealed

28 November, 2018

A RHM research article, Identifying disrespect and abuse in organisational culture: a study of two hospitals in Mumbai, India, has obstetricians from government-run hospitals in Mumbai confessing to coercing women into sterilisation after their second child. Chillingly, so-called ‘consent’ is usually obtained when they are in labour. Read the full article from Mid-Day

SVRI: Advancing research on violence against women and violence against children in low and middle income countries

26 November, 2018

Written by Elizabeth Dartnall, SVRI and Anik Gevers, Independent Consultant. The SVRI With over 6000 members, the SVRI (Sexual Violence Research Initiative) is one of the largest global networks for advancing research on violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC). Founded in 2003, the SVRI brings together a diverse group of actors aiming […]

SRHR and Family Planning: An interview with Mike Mbizvo from the International Conference on Family Planning 2018

19 November, 2018

Reproductive Health Matters (RHM) recently attended and exhibited at the fifth International Family Planning Conference in Kigali, Rwanda from 12-15 November 2018. The theme for this year’s conference was “Investing for a Lifetime of Returns.” RHM spoke to Mike Mbizvo, Country Director of Zambia for the Population Council and Trustee for RHM about the emerging themes […]

Disrespect and abuse in maternal care: addressing key challenges

1 November, 2018

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH MATTERS (RHM) publishes its 53rd journal issue Disrespect and Abuse In Maternal Care: Addressing Key Challenges. The issue, edited jointly by Gita Sen, Bhavya Reddy, Aditi Iyer and Shirin Heidari, highlights concerns about abusive, disrespectful and neglectful treatment of women before, during and after childbirth in healthcare systems, and examines this problem through […]

Intersex human rights: clinical self-regulation has failed

25 October, 2018

Written by Morgan Carpenter, GATE, New York, USA; Intersex Human Rights Australia; and Sydney Health Ethics, The University of Sydney, Australia.   The New York Times recently disclosed that the Trump administration may seek to redefine gender to refer to two unchangeable biologically-determined sex categories [1]. As can be seen in many of the responses […]

Youth-centred research to help prevent and mitigate the adverse health and social impacts of pregnancy amongst young people in PNG

23 October, 2018

Written by Dr. Stephen Bell, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Australia* Associate Professor Angela Kelly-Hanku, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Australia; and PNG Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR), Goroka, PNG  This blog is presented on behalf of the authorship team of this recently published article. *Corresponding author: [email protected]   Despite persistent international attention, adolescent pregnancy remains a […]

Gestational Surrogacy in the Context of Human Rights

12 October, 2018

A two-day forum on Gestational Surrogacy in the Context of Human Rights was held from 11 – 12 October 2018 in London, convened by the Yale Law School and Reproductive Health Matters (RHM), with support from Open Society Foundations. Aware of the incredible work happening in the world, the multi-disciplinary forum brought together medical experts, […]

MY experience of the Together For Yes (TFY) campaign

10 October, 2018

Written by Emma Campbell: Artist, activist, lapsed academic and Abortion Nerd®, all of which she throws into her role as Co-Chair for Alliance for Choice. Learning from previous generations of feminist artists and activists, she illuminates the structural inequalities that face abortion seekers and activists through education, art, campaigning and disruption.   The 25th of May 2018 […]

The Right to Safe Abortion in South Africa: A Clinician’s Experience

27 September, 2018

Written by Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng: Abortion provider for 11 years, consultant at Nalane for Reproductive Justice and SRHR expert with a focus on policy, health communications and advocacy. It is 2:14 a.m. on a Friday. I receive an email, with the subject line “Please respond” written in capital letters. I read the body of the email and […]

Sexual Health and Sexual Rights: Celebrating World Sexual Health Day

4 September, 2018

In 2010, the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) called all their organisations to celebrate, on each September 4th, World Sexual Health Day in an effort to promote a greater social awareness on sexual health across the globe.The theme for 2018 is ‘Sexual health and sexual rights are fundamental for wellbeing’. Reproductive Health Matters promotes […]

‘MARD’ fights for women doctors facing harassment

20 August, 2018

Following a study from Kolkata published in the RHM Journal, Experiences of Sexual Harassment of Women Health Workers in Four Hospitals in Kolkata, India,  an initiative has been launched by the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) team to help female doctors facing sexual harassment. Read the full article by Times of India

Strong coordination and partnerships are key to building the evidence base for SRH in humanitarian settings

18 August, 2018

World Humanitarian Day is held every year on 19 August to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world. Written by Sarah Knaster, Senior Advisor, Inter-Agency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Crises on behalf of the Data and […]

Scientific evidence does not support HIV criminalization laws: An interview with Justice Edwin Cameron

2 August, 2018

From the AIDS 2018 Conference held in Amsterdam, twenty of the world’s leading HIV scientists launched an evidence-based consensus on 25 July 2018 that systematically refutes the rationale for laws that criminalize HIV transmission. The “Expert Consensus Statement on the Science of HIV in the Context of Criminal Law”and an accompanying editorial were published in the Journal of […]

Imagery, visibility and disability

23 July, 2018

Written by Lizzie Kiama, Founding Director at This-Ability. She is based in Nairobi, Kenya.   Bodies are where we put our theories of social justice into practice. It therefore follows that the categories in which bodies are placed, willingly or unwillingly, need to be subject to careful critique. In a society driven by narrow, visual […]

SRHR Voices from AIDS 2018

22 July, 2018

Reproductive Health Matters recently attended the 22nd International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam. The theme of AIDS 2018 is “Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges”, drawing attention to the need of rights-based approaches to more effectively reach key populations. This year, the conference has also emphasized the need to join the SRHR and HIV response specifically. “Poor sexual […]

Using Free Speech to Undermine Women’s Reproductive Health and Rights: A Brief Analysis of the Latest U.S. Supreme Court Case Supporting Crisis Pregnancy Centers

17 July, 2018

Written by Nina Sun, Global Advocacy Advisor at the Center for Reproductive Rights.   Access to evidence-based, unbiased and scientifically accurate health information is one of the foundational pillars of medical ethics, as well as the right to health. While this is important in any interaction with the health system, access to accurate information is […]

UN Poverty Report Hits the Mark on the USA but Almost Misses the Boat on Sexual and Reproductive Rights

12 July, 2018

Written by Cynthia Rothschild, a feminist activist and author who focuses on human rights, sexuality, gender and UN advocacy. She’s based in New York. The United Nations’ leading expert on poverty recently issued a fiery report condemning poverty in the USA and the calculated decisions and policies that lead to it.  Philip Alston, the UN […]

The 8th has been repealed successfully and decisively, but what next?

7 June, 2018

Written by Dr Ben Kasstan (Research Fellow, University of Sussex) and Ms Anamaria Bejar (Director of Advocacy at International Planned Parenthood Federation, UK; Research student, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) On Friday, 25 May 2018, voters in Ireland unanimously decided to repeal article 40.3.3 inserted into the Irish constitution by its Eighth Amendment, which, […]

Guttmacher Report: ‘Adding It Up: Investing in Contraception and Maternal and Newborn Health, 2017

28 May, 2018

This report provides methodological details on the estimates presented in Adding It Up: Investing in Contraception and Maternal and Newborn Health, 2017 and related publications, and includes detailed national and regional data. Adding It Up is an ongoing Guttmacher Institute project in which researchers estimate the need for and the use, costs and impacts of various sexual and reproductive […]

Guttmacher-Lancet Commission Resources

11 May, 2018

Established in early 2016, the Guttmacher-Lancet Commission on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights aims to develop a comprehensive, evidence-based, bold and actionable agenda for key sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) priorities globally. The Commission is an international collaboration that brought together 16 experts from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, with multidisciplinary […]

Argentina: Historic opportunity to legalize abortion

27 April, 2018

After six failed attempts to make the Congress debate a bill to decriminalize and legalize abortion on request until the 14th week of gestation, a bill is finally being debated. Read more  Source: reprohealthlaw blog

Chile: Constitutional Court abortion decision – now in English

27 April, 2018

In 2017, the Constitutional Court of Chile upheld the constitutionality of new government legislation that would remove the criminal prohibition on procuring an abortion on three grounds:  when there is imminent risk to the life of the mother, in case of fatal fetal disease, and in cases of rape. The new English translation is available […]

Taking a Life-Course Approach to Women’s Sexual Health

10 April, 2018

RHM research, Gender norms as health harms: reclaiming a life course perspective on sexual and reproductive health and rights, shows that “older women tend to withhold information about their sexual health needs to health care providers or do not seek out sexual health services” which impacts sexual wellbeing as a key component of sexual and reproductive health care. […]

Joint statement to the Polish Parliament: Polish Parliament Must Protect Women’s Health and Rights

22 March, 2018

Reproductive Health Matters (RHM) – a long-standing voice in support of women’s right to safe abortion – joined more than 200 other groups from across the world in support of the Polish protest movement to oppose the bill tightening abortion law in Poland. A letter called on members of Poland’s parliament to “listen to the voices […]

Global Health 50/50 Report (2018)

8 March, 2018

“The Global Health 50/50 Report provides a benchmark across the [gender-related policy] sector to catalyse shifts in organisational and management culture and practice, the adoption of gender-responsive policies, and ensuring adequate resources for programmes focusing on the gendered dynamics of global health. It seeks to provide evidence of where the gaps lie, while shining a […]

Ending child marriage: child marriage laws and their limitations

5 March, 2018

This brief summarizes findings from research undertaken by Save the Children and the World Bank on the lack of legal protection against child marriage for girls and marriages that take place below the national minimum age of marriage. The analysis suggests that many countries still do not effectively legally protect girls against child marriage, but […]

Message from the Chair of the Board of Trustees: Looking to the Future

30 January, 2018

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the Editorial Advisory Board, I would like to thank Shirin Heidari for her achievements and enthusiasm in maintaining RHM on the cutting edge of developments in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights. We are sad to see her leave but wish her all success […]

Humanitarian crises: advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights

25 December, 2017

Reproductive Health Matters is pleased to present its latest journal issue Humanitarian crises: advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights All articles are available open access via our journal website: www.rhmjournal.org TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORIAL: Care with dignity in humanitarian crises: ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights of displaced populations Monica Onyango, Shirin Heidari […]

Director’s End of Year Message

21 December, 2017

Time flies! It is hard to believe that already a year has passed since I wrote my blog summarising 2016. It is time to review 2017. This year started with dismaying news for the SRHR movement: the re-enactment of the Global Gag Rule, a backward policy that will have far-reaching consequences for many people around […]

Strengthening health systems to respond to women subjected to intimate partner violence or sexual violence: A manual for health managers

29 November, 2017

The manual is based on the WHO clinical and policy guidelines for “Responding to intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women” (2013). It provides ‘how to’ guidance to health managers and policy-makers for planning, managing and monitoring services to meet the psychological and physical health needs of women and girls, and for ensuring that […]

Conducting SRHR Research in Humanitarian Crises: Challenges, Strategies and Opportunities

10 November, 2017

RHM Panel Report: Annual Meeting of the Inter-Agency Working Group
on SRHR in Humanitarian Settings

Gendered bodies and reproduction in the Arab countries and Turkey

9 November, 2017

RHM is pleased to present its latest journal supplement, “Gendered bodies and reproduction in the Arab countries and Turkey”. TABLE of CONTENTS Editorial: Gendered bodies and reproduction in the Arab countries and Turkey  Jocelyn DeJong and Shirin Heidari Health research in a turbulent region: the Reproductive Health Working Group Jocelyn DeJong, Huda Zurayk, Cynthia Myntti […]

Contextualising Populism and its Effects on SRHR

6 November, 2017

On September 27th 2017, RHM’s Director, Dr Shirin Heidari, participated in the panel discussion “Contextualising Populism and its Effects on SRHR” during the 2017 EuroNGOs Conference in Brussels, Belgium, where she talked about the causes and consequences of rising right-wing populism, particularly in Europe, and discussed the political implications for SRHR. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROTECTING LIFE IN GLOBAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE RESTRICTIONS ON U.S. GLOBAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE

20 October, 2017

Foreign NGOs, defined as NGOs (non-profit or for-profit) that are not organized under the laws of the United States, can engage in certain types of abortion-related activities and still remain eligible for U.S. global health assistance. This brochure seeks to clarify the specific restrictions imposed by the policy in order to protect and preserve critical […]

WHO guideline on Syphilis screening and treatment for pregnant women

20 October, 2017

The objectives of this guideline are: to provide evidence-based guidance on syphilis screening and treatment for pregnant women; and to support countries to update their national guidelines for syphilis screening and treatment for pregnant women. SOURCE: WHO

Child marriage laws and their limitations

20 September, 2017

This brief summarizes findings from research undertaken by Save the Children and the World Bank on the lack of legal protection against child marriage for girls and marriages that take place below the national minimum age of marriage.

an international multi-stakeholder meeting on disrespect and abuse in childbirth

19 September, 2017

On Sunday 17 September 2017, Reproductive Health Matters hosted a successful day-long satellite meeting on disrespect and abuse in childbirth, or “obstetric violence.” The meeting was held ahead of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative Forum, which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from the 19-22 September.

Protecting refugee Women and Girls from Violence

19 September, 2017

An increasing number of refugees worldwide are women and children. In many cases, they are forced to leave their homes due to armed conflicts, insecurity or generalised violence. For women and girls, their migration experience is shaped by some particular features, the roots of which lie in the gendered forms of violence they may face […]

Programme reporting standards for sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health

19 September, 2017

WHO has developed new standards to strengthen reporting on information related to the design, context, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of sexual, reprWHO has developed new standards to strengthen reporting on information related to the design, context, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (SRMNCAH) programmes and research.oductive, maternal, newborn, […]

For Refugees in Lebanon, Giving Birth Comes at a High Price

11 July, 2017

Despite Lebanon’s relatively advanced healthcare system, pregnancy and childbirth are fraught with danger and unaffordable costs for Syrians, reports Tania Karas for our series “Refugee Mothers: Pregnancy in Exile.”

Disability and Sexuality: claiming sexual and reproductive rights

25 June, 2017

RHM is pleased to present its latest journal issue, “Disability and sexuality: claiming sexual and reproductive rights”.

State of the World’s Fathers – 2017 Report

9 June, 2017

Caregiving and unpaid care work are at the heart of any discussion of the state of the world’s fathers, and at the heart of gender inequality. For all the attention paid to unpaid care work, however, in no country in the world do men’s contributions to unpaid care work equal women’s.

On May 25th the Polish Government voted in favour of limiting access to emergency contraception violating women’s reproductive rights few months after the “Black Protest”

26 May, 2017

Reproductive Health Matters Congratulates Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on his appointment as the new WHO Director-General

26 May, 2017

RHM would like to extend our congratulations to Dr. Tedros on his appointment as the new Director-General of the World Health Organization. We note with support Dr. Tedros’ commitment to ensuring that the well-being of women, children and adolescents is placed at the centre of global health and development. Further, we urge Dr. Tedros to […]

Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 – 2015

16 May, 2017

Understanding Masculinities: Results from the international Men and Gender Equality Survey – MENA

8 May, 2017

The State of the World’s Midwifery 2014

5 May, 2017

Minimum Initial Service Package for Reproductive Health

3 May, 2017

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21 April, 2017

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Women’s Link sues the health department of the Region of Murcia, Spain, for violating the right to a dignified abortion

20 April, 2017

Maternal Mortality – Fact Sheet

21 March, 2017

Women in Politics in 2017 – interactive map

21 March, 2017

Consolidated guideline on sexual and reproductive health and rights of women living with HIV

21 March, 2017

Letter to the UN Secretary-General

20 March, 2017

RHM signed the letter presented to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during CSW to meet up with NGOs for an open dialogue to strengthen the UN’s commitment and support so that feminist and women’s movements can have a strong voice in the UN. Read More

Petition to the UN Secretary-General

17 March, 2017

RHM signed a letter to the UN Secretary-General from NGOs represented at this year’s UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), invited António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, to meet with them for an open dialogue during the CSW (13 to 24 March 2017). “These are troubled times and the world’s women call on the UN […]

Sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian settings

13 March, 2017

A panel discussion during the 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2017. Hosted by RHM, International Rescue Committee, World Health Organization, Women’s Refugee Commission, Columbia University, and Ipas.

New guide | Recognising and protecting women human rights defenders

15 February, 2017

Tracking contraception across Europe / February 2017

14 February, 2017

Administrative data collection on violence against women – Good practices

2 February, 2017

End of Year Message from the Director

28 December, 2016

2016 has been a turbulent year, with conservative forces gaining ground and causing women growing anxiety over lingering threats to their reproductive rights. The year also offered a few occasions for celebration: we joined in solidarity with our Polish sisters when they succeeded in stopping a proposed law which, if passed, would have made all […]

The tip of the iceberg – intimate partner homicide

8 December, 2016

Heidi Stöckl is a lecturer in social epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Associate Editor at Reproductive Health Matters. A video interview with the author is now available online. Anna V was 36 years old when she and her seven-year old son Anton were murdered by her ex-partner and father of their […]

RHM is transitioning to a fully Open Access (OA) publishing model

6 December, 2016

In January 2017, RHM journal is moving to a new publisher, Taylor&Francis, and transitioning to a fully Open Access (OA) publishing model, meaning all current and back articles for publication will be available online, free of charge, for anyone to read. What this means for RHM authors RHM will continue its long tradition of publishing themed […]

The state of global politics: moving beyond despair to concerted HIV activism

1 December, 2016

Laura Ferguson is Associate Director of the Program on Global Health & Human Rights, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Global Health at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Associate Editor at Reproductive Health Matters. World AIDS Day is a time for reflection, remembrance and re-energizing efforts to address […]

Protecting Women and Girls Migrating to Europe

9 October, 2016

A EuroNGOS conference side event hosted by Médecins du Monde and RHM, in October 2016.

10 steps to stop violence against female refugees

27 July, 2016

Addressing violence against women as a barrier to SRHR

22 June, 2016

RHM participated in and co-sponsored a panel discussion, alongside United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and member states Canada, Sweden, and Uruguay, organised by the World Health Organization’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research, during the 32nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva in June 2016.

State Family Planning Federation (FPFE): solidarity request

13 June, 2016

RHM signed the public statement submitted to the Home Affairs Ministry of Spain by the the State Family Planning Federation to be reinstated as a public utility. “The Ministry of the Interior of the Spanish government has revoked the declaration of public utility of the State Family Planning Federation (FPFE) upon the request, using moral arguments, of an […]

Call for the official recognition of 11 April as the International Day for Maternal Health and Rights

11 April, 2016

RHM endorsed a letter calling on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to officially recognise 11 April as the International Day for Maternal Health brought forward by Center for Health and Gender Equity and Path International. “On April 11, we will celebrate the third annual International Day for Maternal Health and Rights. Will the UN join us? Each year, 289,000 women […]

In solidarity with Polish women online campaign

4 April, 2016

RHM participated in the online campaign to show solidarity for Polish women #ODZYSKAĆWYBÓR (Regain the Choice), a coalition of feminist and other non-governmental organisations, informal groups and individuals, struggling to regain the abortion choice right Polish women were deprived of 23 years ago. “Polish women could legally terminate pregnancies in safe conditions with no threat to health or life. They could […]

International Day of Trans Visibility – a statement by GATE

31 March, 2016

Today, March 31st, Global Action for Trans* Equality (GATE) calls for collective and critical reflection as we honor the International Day of Trans Visibility. Undoubtedly, individual and community visibility has been a key strategy to build trans* social and political movements. Visibility has played a central historical role in the ongoing work to transform our […]

Abortion in Chile: Respect the dignity and decisions of women

7 March, 2016

RHM endorsed a letter to President Bachelet, Nueva Mayoria Coalition, and Chilean Congress from Corporación Humanas, Amnesty International Chile, Observatorio de Género y Equidad, Fondo Alquimia, APROFA, Centro Estudios de la Mujer, Corporación MILES, Corporación Mujeres Lideres para Chile, Fundación Iguales, Instituto de la Mujer, Instituto Igualdad, Observatorio contra el Acoso Callejero, Revolución Democrática, and Colectivo Lemebel […]

Season’s Greetings from RHM

21 December, 2015

Seasons Greetings from Shirin Heidari, RHM Director and Editor With the Holiday Season upon us, I want to reflect on the year that has passed and those who have made our progress and success possible. 2015 marked the transition to a new era for RHM. There has been a change in leadership, with Marge Berer […]

Anti-Abortion Violence, USA: A Hate Crime against Women

20 December, 2015

A guest blog by Marge Berer, Coordinator of the International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) clinic in Colorado Springs, USA, provides cancer screening, STD tests and treatment, breast exams, contraception and abortion, mostly to women. On 27 November an armed gunman entered the clinic, apparently walking […]

Reflecting on the Sheen case: HIV criminalisation and prosecution papers

17 November, 2015

On November 17th 2015) the public had the unedifying experience of watching a Hollywood star, Charlie Sheen, ‘confess’ to his HIV positive status. He has already effectively been ‘outed’ by salacious newspaper columnists in the United States, UK and elsewhere. A personal health issue, that should have been a private matter has been turned into a festival of […]

From rhetoric to reality: opportunities and threats to sexual and reproductive health and rights, and gender responsiveness for disabled people in post-conflict and post-crisis settings

16 November, 2015

A guest blog by Laura Dean, Department of International Public Health, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine   “If a woman with hearing impairment is raped by soldier, it is difficult enough as it is but she is also unable to communicate. How many of the structures that help tackle violence against women and girls are […]

Remembering Savita: a round up of articles on her death, its causes and impact

28 October, 2015

On the third anniversary of the preventable death of Savita Halappanavar we have collated some of the pieces on the law, policies and practices that resulted in her death; and a range of views on the new Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, the Irish government’s response to the tragic death. Termination of pregnancy as emergency obstetric care: the […]

Intersex Awareness Day – best of the blogs

27 October, 2015

For Intersex Awareness Day 2015 – my pick of interesting articles which capture a range of different perspectives on intersex awareness, education and activism. You might be interested to note that the CMS on this blog underlines both intersex and Intersex as spelling mistakes. Maybe this tells us something about intersex (in)visibility.   Education and awareness […]

Mapping sex work policy across the globe

21 September, 2015

A guest blog by Amy Hall, Institute of Development Studies Sex work is an issue which has divided feminists for decades, with the debate often focused on the law and how it should apply in the safest way. It is argued, including by sex workers’ organisations, that the best way is through decriminalisation. Some favour regulation, […]

Letter to Dr Purna Sen to include LGBTI women at a structural level

4 September, 2015

RHM endorsed a letter to the new Chair of UN Women Purna Sen asking that UN Women makes changes to include Lesbian, Bisexual women, Trans women and Intersex women at a structural level and programmatic level as they continue to be marginalised. At present these issues only gain a profile when individuals champion them, but […]

Letter of Solidarity for Polish Women

4 September, 2015

RHM endorsed a letter calling MPs, the Speaker and the Prime Minister of Poland to vote against the citizen’s bill amending the Act on Family Planning, Protection of the Human Fetus and Conditions of Pregnancy Termination and related Acts, submitted by the Committee “Stop Abortion” that would make abortion illegal in all cases. The letter was submitted […]

Where There Is No Doctor: community-based medical care for survivors of sexual violence

5 August, 2015

A guest blog by Mihoko Tanabe, senior program officer, sexual and reproductive health program, Women’s Refugee Commission Community health workers (CHWs) forge a river to cross from Thailand into Myanmar (Burma), laden with rape kits and several months of medical supplies. They trek through the dense jungle for two or three days before finally arriving in […]

HPV vaccination for boys

30 July, 2015

As a member of HPV Action RHM signed a letter to Ms Jane Ellison (MP) calling on the Department of Health for universal HPV vaccination in the UK. ” (…) We believe that both boys and girls should be vaccinated against HPV at around the age of 12/13 in order to protect everyone from a range of diseases, […]

Gender Equality, Women’s Rights and Human Rights at the Post-2015 agenda in New York

25 July, 2015

RHM endorsed a statement presented by the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post-2015 agenda in New York. “I’d like to highlight the consistent support from governments, UN agencies, and CSO colleagues from around the world, who agree that gender equality, women’s rights and human rights are essential to achieve sustainable development, and as such, must be recognized […]

Letter to the Director General of SDC for positive action on three resolutions being negotiated at HRC 29th session

24 July, 2015

We understand that three resolutions are currently being negotiated at the 29thsession of the Human Rights Council which relate directly to Reproductive Health Matters’ area of expertise and interest, and to that of our stakeholders. Reproductive Health Matters is an international organisation focusing on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of people around the […]

Accepting the global reality of ‘self-help’ abortions

21 July, 2015

A guest post by Marge Berer Co-ordinator International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion originally posted on the Berer Blog Taking medical abortion pills at home to have an abortion, mostly before ten weeks of pregnancy, though not always, is happening in most countries across the world, and each year more than ever. It is […]

Academic lawyers publish draft IHR-compliant abortion legislation for Ireland #repealthe8th

14 July, 2015

A guest blog post by Dr Ruth Fletcher r.fletcher[at]qmul.ac.uk “First, and perhaps most importantly, we were determined to design a law that would regulate abortion in Ireland by primary reference to the bodily integrity, welfare, agency, autonomy and self-determination of pregnant women” On 29th June @feministsatlaw, an open access journal, published draft abortion legislation for […]

Submission on General Comment on Article 6 (Right to Life) under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to the United Nations Human Rights Committee By Reproductive Health Matters

29 June, 2015

Submission-on-General-Comment-on-Article-6_FINALReproductive Health Matters has submitted written input to the work of the Human Rights Committee in preparation for a General Comment on Article 6 (Right to Life) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Our comments are limited to the issue of maternal mortality, unsafe abortion, including as a result of criminalisation of abortion […]

ARROW response to Protection of the Family Resolution at HRC 29th Session

29 June, 2015

RHM endorsed a statement by ARROW in reaction to a Protection of the Family Resolution that has been tabled at the UN Human Rights Council, 29th Session, Geneva. The statement outlines why this is problematic as it can conceal and bring about human rights abuses to the constituencies we work with. Sponsors continuously refuse to include recognition that in […]

Sister: An Intimate Portrait of a Global Health Crisis – film review

21 May, 2015

A film by Brenda Davis. 2014. 86 minutes. Multiple languages with English sub-titles. A review by Sarah Rudrum Woman and child, Tigray, Ethiopia Following the challenging work of health care providers in Ethiopia, Cambodia, and Haiti, Sister introduces personal stories that illustrate factors contributing to ongoing high rates of maternal mortality. In Tigray, Ethiopia, Goitom […]

Comment on Zero Draft Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health Round 2

19 May, 2015

RHM has endorsed a statement by IPAS calling for the Zero Draft Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health to explicitly identify safe abortion as a component of the strategy. The document is open to stakeholder input until June 5th 2015. If you and your organisation would like to endorse the following statement please send […]

Landmark decision in Uganda in case of maternal death is a cause for celebration

18 May, 2015

A guest blog by Sarah Rudrum When I wrote my dissertation about the social organization of maternity care and birth in Amuru, northern Uganda, it began with an account of a legal case spearheaded by The Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD). The case alleged that government had violated the human rights of […]

Communication in Conflict: Research Findings from a Latin American Public Health Project

6 May, 2015

A Guest Blog Post by Erica Nelson, PhD, Independent Consultant – originally published by Healthy Teen Network Estimados colegas, this post is directed at those of you working to improve the sexual and reproductive health of Latino teens, to share the research findings from a Latin American public health project. Proyecto CERCA, or “Community Embedded […]

Submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child : General Comment on the Rights of Adolescents

31 March, 2015

Reproductive Health Matters submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment on the Rights of Adolescents, March 31st 2015 Context Adolescent girls around the world are disproportionately impacted by the unmet need for contraception[i]; unsafe abortion[ii], maternal morbidity and mortality[iii]. These risks can be caused or exacerbated by female genital mutilation, […]

A Quiet Inquisition

26 March, 2015

A film by Holen Sabrina Kahn and Alessandra Zek, Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014 (65 min), in Spanish with English subtitles A review by Marge Berer This is a film about Daniel Ortega’s betrayal of Nicaraguan women. Made over a period of several years, this documentary film features the experiences of young, rural, pregnant women […]

Letter from RHM Founder Editor Marge Berer on the appointment of Dr Shirin Heidari

9 March, 2015

I am very pleased to announce that Dr Shirin Heidari has been appointed as the new Director and Editor of RHM as of 1st March 2015. RHM is about to go through a number of changes ‒ no longer being a print journal, becoming online only, publishing more frequently, entering more fully into the electronic publication […]

Message from the new RHM Director and Editor, Dr Shirin Heidari

9 March, 2015

Dear friends of Reproductive Health Matters, It is a privilege to join RHM as the Journal’s new editor and director of the organisation. The honour is combined with the great responsibility attached to replacing an outstanding predecessor. Marge Berer, the founder of RHM, has been an excellent editor and a tireless advocate for sexual and […]

Acquittals in the FGM case in London: justice was done and was seen to be done, but what now?

10 February, 2015

Marge Berer – Editor, Reproductive Health Matters 10th February 2015 This was a case that should never have been allowed to happen. While female genital mutilation (FGM) is a harmful practice and needs to stop, the UK government, politicians from David Cameron on down, and especially the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Director of Public Prosecutions […]

Equitable policy to attain universal reproductive health: the example of Cuba

16 December, 2014

Written by Jonathan Broad (MBChB, MClinEd), Research Associate in Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol. Jonathan Broad has an interest in global health and the social circumstances, particularly in childhood, which underpin lifelong health inequalities.   I read with great interest Sundari Ravindran’s call for advocacy against neoliberal globalisation and its damaging effect on reproductive health through […]

Comments on the Report of the Global Thematic Consultation on Health submitted by Reproductive Health Matters, 19 February 2013

20 February, 2013

1. Sexual and reproductive health and rights as an essential part of the health goal: tackling inequities and disparities Health cannot be ensured without ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). We therefore support the inputs into this report that propose that SRHR should be at the centre of any health goal in the […]

RHM submission the the online consultation for ‘The World We Want 2015’

1 February, 2013

Reproductive Health Matters submitted the following contribution to the online consultation for “The World We Want 2015”. It’s in the “Health in the Post-2015 Development Agenda” consultation under the “Lead Theme” on AIDS, health and development. 1.Successful AIDS responses have involved comprehensive prevention, treatment, care and support, taking account of social determinants of health. HIV […]

Reproductive Health Matters Congratulates Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on his appointment as the new WHO Director-General 2

29 November, 2010

RHM would like to extend our congratulations to Dr. Tedros on his appointment as the new Director-General of the World Health Organization. We note with support Dr. Tedros’ commitment to ensuring that the well-being of women, children and adolescents is placed at the centre of global health and development. Further, we urge Dr. Tedros to […]