Sexual reproductive health awareness campaign |01 September 2017
The Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) programme, one of the six programmes under the Family Health & Nutrition Unit (FH&NU), in collaboration with the Health Promotion Unit within the Ministry of Health is organising a campaign to raise public awareness on sexual and reproductive health/rights. The campaign has been one of the activities planned for September 2017 under the SRH programme to commemorate the ‘World Sexual Health Day’ (WSHD) and ‘World Contraceptive Day’ which fall on the September 4 and 26 respectively.
The international theme chosen for this year is ‘Love, bonding and intimacy’. This theme goes beyond the current definition of ‘intimacy’ which almost always implies being sexual with another person. It aims to break the idea that sexuality is only about having sex; integrating the emotional aspects of it and the human need for bonding. The joyful part of it is the sharing of our own sexual health and sexuality with someone we love or people we choose.
To commemorate the above two themes, the FH&NU have planned a series of activities during the month of September. The activities will start from September 4 and spread over up to September 26. A small committee, comprising national stakeholders involved with SRH strategies has been set up to organise and implement the proposed activities for the campaign. The local theme under which all the activities will be conducted is ‘Know your basic sexual health and rights for better options’.
The main objectives of the campaign are:
• To increase awareness on sexual reproductive health and rights;
• To conduct training for service providers;
• To gather input/recommendations to develop new strategies.
The proposed activities are:
- One day multi-sectorial forum on sexual health and rights; planned for Tuesday September 5 at the International Conference Centre Seychelles (ICCS);
- Develop a social media page on Sexual Health;
- Conduct training for service providers;
- Produce TV spots/documentary on ‘Tele Sesel’;
- Participation in radio programmes on studio clinic, Pure FM and K. Radio on various topics related to sexual health and rights. Topics include sexual harassment, sexual health, sexual rights, sexual abuse (especially involving children), men’s health, abortion, risky sexual behaviours, sexual orientation, legal issues around SRH;
- Youth activity with school children;
- Participation in national activities to bring in the aspect of sexual health and rights.
Sexual Health
- Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity.
- Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.
- For sexual health to be attained and maintained, the sexual rights of all persons must be respected, protected and fulfilled.
Sexual Rights
Sexual rights embrace human rights that are already recognised in national laws, international human rights documents and other consensus statements. They include the rights of all persons, free of coercion, discrimination and violence, to:
- the highest attainable standard of sexual health, including access to sexual and reproductive health care services;
- seek, receive and impart information related to sexuality;
- sexuality education;
- respect for bodily integrity;
- choose their partner;
- decide to be sexually active or not;
- consensual sexual relations;
- consensual marriage;
- decide whether or not, and when, to have children; and
- pursue a satisfying, safe and pleasurable sexual life.
The responsible exercise of human rights requires that all persons respect the rights of others.