4 September 2022
World Sexual Health Day
On World Sexual Health Day, WHO celebrates every person’s right to sexual well-being
This year, the theme of World Sexual Health Day is ‘Let’s Talk Pleasure’, recognizing the role of sexual pleasure in overall sexual health and well-being. Read more about WHO’s work to promote sexual well-being this World Sexual Health Day.
From the absence of disease to well-being: the continuum of sexual health
Sexual health is relevant throughout a person’s life, through to adolescence and into older age – not only during their reproductive years.
Our sexual health is affected by the quality, safety, and respect of our relationships: with oneself and other individuals, with family and friends, and the society in which we live, including the gender norms that shape our experiences. It is also dependent on fundamental human rights.
The World Health Organization (WHO) working definition of sexual health emphasises a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, one that cannot be separated from sexual well-being:
“Sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being related 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.”
What is WHO doing to promote sexual health and well-being?
Enabling all people to achieve sexual health and well-being requires tailoring normative guidance and national programming to meet their specific needs and lived experience: welcoming and inclusive of people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions, sexual characteristics, people living with HIV, and with disability.
“To advance comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights for all, it’s critical that we understand how these letters – SRHR – interact, together and separately,” said Pascale Allotey, Director Director of the WHO Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research department, including the United Nations Special Research Programme (HRP).
“WHO recognizes that people have sex as part of a healthy life and intimate relationships, and not solely for the purpose of reproduction. Our commitment to research, evidence, guidance and enthusiastic promotion of sexual health is essential to every person’s fulfilment of their human rights related to sexuality and well-being.”
Activities led by WHO and the United Nations Special Research Programme HRP include:
- education, counselling and care related to sexuality, sexual identity, and sexual relationships
- addressing sexual function and psychosexual counselling
- promoting positive sexual and psychosocial development
- prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV
- prevention and management of cervical and other cancers of the reproductive system.
A central aspect of being human
Good sexual health is fundamental to the overall health and well-being of individuals, couples and families, and to the social and economic development of communities and countries.
While sexual health and rights and reproductive health and rights are closely linked, crucial aspects of sexual health can be overlooked when grouped under the domain of reproductive health. WHO is committed to identifying and promoting sexual health itself, so that everyone, everywhere is able to fulfil their human rights related to their sexuality and sexual well-being.
Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2022/09/04/default-calendar/world-sexual-health-day
"Reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Intergovernmental Organization (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO) licence.
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