Reproductive health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system during all stages throughout life.
What does the Constitution have to say?
The Constitution of South Africa protects the rights of all people to make their own decisions about having children and gives them control over their bodies.
The Constitution recognises that both women and men have the right to know about contraception, and to choose and have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of contraception. Protecting yourself against an unwanted pregnancy is your right, and you can decide what methods you want to use.
Women have the right to access appropriate healthcare services that ensure a safe pregnancy and childbirth. Furthermore, the Constitution recognises that the decision to have children is fundamental to a woman’s physical, psychological and social health, and that complete access to reproductive healthcare services must include family planning and contraception advice, legal abortion, sex education and counselling programmes and services.
The Constitution recognises that the State is responsible for providing reproductive healthcare to all citizens, and that the State must also provide safe conditions under which people can exercise their reproductive health rights without fear or harm.
The reality
Despite the good intentions of the Constitution, reproductive health problems remain a leading cause of ill health and death, especially for South African women and girls of childbearing age. Impoverished women suffer disproportionately from unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortion, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), gender-based violence and other related problems.
Young people are also extremely vulnerable, often facing barriers to sexual and reproductive health information and care. For example, young people are disproportionately affected by HIV and every year millions of girls face unintended pregnancies, exposing them to risks during childbirth or unsafe abortions and interfering with their ability to go to school.
Evidence shows that reproductive health throughout life has a profound effect on people’s health later in life. For instance, without diagnosis and treatment, some STIs, such as HIV or syphilis, can be fatal. STIs can also cause pregnancy-related complications, including stillbirth, congenital infections, sepsis and neonatal death. They can also lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical cancer and infertility.
Is there a solution?
People with STIs often don’t realize they are infected, and so they spread the disease to others, including people they love most such as wives, husbands and children. Incorporating sexual and reproductive health into primary health care is therefore imperative.
Government needs civil society, businesses and donors to make a comprehensive effort to strengthen our failing health systems and provide access to sexual and reproductive health care, in particular. For instance, a woman should be able to address her family planning, antenatal care, HIV testing and general health needs all in one place.
Sources
http://www.humanillnesses.com/original/Se-Sy/Sexually-Transmitted-Diseases-STDs.html#ixzz47J6SQ9VX
http://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/briefings/women’s-health.pdf
http://www.parent24.com/Focus/water_safe/more/Teens-want-sex-health-info-20091106-2
http://www.unfpa.org
https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/