Reproductive Health Services
UNFPA supports a gender- and rights-based
approach to reproductive and sexual health, one that empowers women
throughout their lives.
Reproductive rights become tangible, however,
only when reproductive
health services that offer a high quality
of care are made widely available. Availability includes
both affordability and convenience, which generally implies a
range of services under one roof.
The critical importance of reproductive health was endorsed at the highest level at the 2005 World Summit. At that convocation,
the largest-ever gathering of world leaders recognized that reproductive health is critical to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. They reaffirmed the need to keep reproductive health high on the development agenda, and to make universal access to reproductive health by 2015 a reality.
Priority Concerns
UNFPA gives priority to providing
basic reproductive health services to young people, pregnant
women, and hard-to-reach populations, including those displaced by humanitarian crises.
Linking reproductive health services to HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care is increasingly being seen as a critical strategy to expanding access to both types of care. In recognition that men are integral to reproductive health,
the Fund also is expanding its support to services that can make
men
healthier and more responsible sexual partners.
Both men and women
need access to information and appropriate health services throughout
their lives. Such information and services
should be gender sensitive and allow:
- All individuals to make informed choices about sexuality and
reproduction, and to have a safe and satisfying sexual life, free of violence and coercion
- Women to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth
- Couples to have the best chance of having a healthy infant
- Women to avoid unwanted pregnancy and to address the consequences
of unsafe abortion
- Access to prevention, treatment and care for sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
Offering Essential Services
Almost all programme countries struggle to expand access to services.
Because of limited resources, many countries initially offer a
core package of basic services, which can be expanded as resources
become available. For the convenience of users, and streamlining
of management, reproductive and sexual health services should be
integrated within a system that offers primary health care and
referrals for more specialized needs.
A full sexual and reproductive health package includes:
- Family planning/birth spacing services
- Antenatal care, skilled attendance at delivery, and postnatal care
- Management of obstetric and neonatal complications and emergencies
- Prevention of abortion and management of complications resulting from unsafe abortion
- Prevention and treatment of reproductive tract infections and sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS
- Early diagnosis and treatment for breast and cervical cancer
- Promotion, education and support for exclusive breast feeding
- Prevention and appropriate treatment of sub-fertility and infertility
- Active discouragement of harmful practices such as female genital cutting
- Adolescent sexual and reproductive health
- Prevention and management of gender-based violence
Reproductive and Sexual Health is a Societal Concern
Reproductive and sexual health is a societal
issue — not only the responsibility of the health sector. It is
important to build
partnerships with other public and private sectors, as well as
with civil society.
Effective health service delivery can be achieved
by:
- Partnerships with civil society
- Community involvement
- Integration of services
- Inclusion of health promotion activities
- Advocacy for sexual and reproductive health and rights
- Coordination across services, sectors, ministries
Communities can play an important role in building demand for
appropriate reproductive health services. For instance, they can
mobilize and build awareness at the local level about reproductive
health issues. They can organize to pool resources in micro-insurance
schemes. They can collectively exert more pressure for public health
service improvements than individuals. Such efforts can be especially
effective and timely as health reform and decentralization is underway
in many countries. Innovative and participatory approaches are
needed to ensure that reproductive health issues receive adequate
attention during this transition. The UNFPA-supported Stronger Voices project is a good example of how this can work.
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