Reproductive and sexual health: a research and developmental challenge

There is a growing awareness of the burden and implications of reproductive ill health as contributed by unsafe motherhood (during pregnancy, childbirth, abortion), reproductive tract infection (RTIs) and cancer, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), poorly regulated fertility, infertility, unwanted pregnancy and adolescent/teenage sexuality and pregnancy. Sexual health further entails a state of well-being in expression of sexuality, prevention of unwanted pregnancies, prevention of STIs and AIDS and freedom from sexual abuse and violence. Reproductive health is increasingly being recognized as one of the corner stones of health and a major determinant and indicator of human social development. It is central to general health as it reflects health in childhood and adolescence and sets the stage for health and life expectancy beyond the reproductive years. It is affected by other health aspects such as nutrition and environment, low birth weight, neonatal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. According to the WHO, reproductive health problems account for more than one third of the total burden of disease in women and more than 10 pc of that in men. The challenges posed by the subordinate status of women, the exclusion of men in reproductive health programmes and the need for shaping adolescents' sexual knowledge and behaviour are viewed against today's poor reproductive and sexual health outcomes in the context of Africa. Education systems, employers and policy makers are challenged to provide adequate STI/HIV education and on-site (school, work, satellite, drop in) control services. Prevention interventions, disease and health trends and their outcome require systematic research in order to impact on policy. Reproductive health education should be universal, especially for adolescents, and its impact assessed against appropriate monitoring criteria such as reproductive morbidity, STI prevalence and abortion complications.