Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research (SRH)
Including the Human Reproduction Special Programme (HRP)

Human rights, gender equality and social determinants

Human rights are fundamental to the health of individuals, couples and families, and to the social and economic development of communities and nations.

As explained in the 2017 Report of the high-level working group on the health and human rights of women, children and adolescents, everyone has the right to health and through health, because the “right to health does not stand alone but is indivisible from other human rights. Good health not only depends on but is also a prerequisite for pursuing other rights. Human rights cannot be fully enjoyed without health; likewise, health cannot be fully enjoyed without the dignity that is upheld by all other human rights”.

Discrimination, abuse and violence, however, continue to prevent women and girls everywhere from fulfilling their human right to the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health.

Journal articles

2025

Allen CL, Muschialli L, Nihlén Å, Coates A, Gonsalves LM. Barriers to sexual and reproductive health care faced by transgender and gender diverse people: a systematic review. Reprod Health. 2025;22(1):115. Published 2025 Jun 25. doi:10.1186/s12978-025-02038-6

Castro A, Kabra R, Coates A, Kiarie J. Successful strategies that address gender-related barriers and promote bodily autonomy within efforts to scale up and sustain postpregnancy contraception: a scoping review. BMJ Glob Health. 2025;10(2):e016638. Published 2025 Feb 16. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2024-016638

2024

Paul, M., RamPrakash, R., Govender, V., & Sundewall, J.  (2024, November 20). An Intersectional Feminist Approach for Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Through Universal Health Coverage. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Global Public Health. Retrieved 27 Jan. 2025, from https://oxfordre.com/publichealth/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190632366.001.0001/acrefore-9780190632366-e-227

Lohan M, Amin A, Marques M, Tomlinson M. Engaging men and boys in sexual and reproductive health and rights. BMJ. 2024;385:q1042. Published 2024 May 10. doi:10.1136/bmj.q1042

Narasimhan M, Say L, Allotey P. Three decades of progress and setbacks since the first international conference on population and development. Bull World Health Organ. 2024 102(4):226-226A. doi:10.2471/BLT.24.291654

Ghebreyesus TA, Allotey P, Narasimhan M. Advancing the "sexual" in sexual and reproductive health and rights: a global health, gender equality and human rights imperative. Bull World Health Organ. 2024;102(1):77-78. doi:10.2471/BLT.23.291227

2023

Schaaf M, Lavelanet A, Codjia L, Nihlén Å, Rehnstrom Loi U. A narrative review of challenges related to healthcare worker rights, roles and responsibilities in the provision of sexual and reproductive services in health facilities. BMJ Glob Health. 2023;8(Suppl 4):e012421. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012421

2022

Ferguson L, Narasimhan M, Gutierrez J, Jardell W, Gruskin S. Law, human rights and gender in practice: an analysis of lessons from implementation of self-care interventions for sexual and reproductive health. Sex Reprod Health Matters. 2021;29(3):2105284. doi:10.1080/26410397.2022.2105284

Bohren MA, Vazquez Corona M, Odiase OJ, et al. Strategies to reduce stigma and discrimination in sexual and reproductive healthcare settings: A mixed-methods systematic review. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2022;2(6):e0000582. Published 2022 Jun 15. doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0000582

2021

Haddad Z, Williams KN, Lewis JJ, Prats EV, Adair-Rohani H. Expanding data is critical to assessing gendered impacts of household energy use. BMJ. 2021;375:n2273. Published 2021 Oct 14. doi:10.1136/bmj.n2273

Schaaf M, Khosla R. Necessary but not sufficient: a scoping review of legal accountability for sexual and reproductive health in low-income and middle-income countries. BMJ Glob Health. 2021;6(7):e006033. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2021-006033

Plesons M, Travers E, Malhotra A, et al. Updated research gaps on ending child marriage and supporting married girls for 2020-2030. Reprod Health. 2021;18(1):152. Published 2021 Jul 20. doi:10.1186/s12978-021-01176-x

Amin A, Remme M, Allotey P, Askew I. Gender equality by 2045: reimagining a healthier future for women and girls. BMJ. 2021;373:n1621. Published 2021 Jun 28. doi:10.1136/bmj.n1621

Rossier C, Marchin A, Kim C, Ganatra B. Disclosure to social network members among abortion-seeking women in low- and middle-income countries with restrictive access: a systematic review. Reprod Health. 2021;18(1):114. Published 2021 Jun 7. doi:10.1186/s12978-021-01165-0

Schaaf M, Kapilashrami A, George A, et al. Unmasking power as foundational to research on sexual and reproductive health and rights. BMJ Glob Health. 2021;6(4):e005482. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005482

Narasimhan M, Logie CH, Moody K, Hopkins J, Montoya O, Hardon A. The role of self-care interventions on men's health-seeking behaviours to advance their sexual and reproductive health and rights. Health Res Policy Syst. 2021;19(1):23. Published 2021 Feb 17. doi:10.1186/s12961-020-00655-0

Gruskin S, Jardell W, Ferguson L, Zacharias K, Khosla R. Integrating human rights into sexual and reproductive health research: moving beyond the rhetoric, what will it take to get us there?. Sex Reprod Health Matters. 2021;29(1):1881206. doi:10.1080/26410397.2021.1881206

2020

Sacks E, Mehrtash H, Bohren M, et al. The first 2 h after birth: prevalence and factors associated with neonatal care practices from a multicountry, facility-based, observational study. Lancet Glob Health. 2021;9(1):e72-e80. doi:10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30422-8

Ruane-McAteer E, Gillespie K, Amin A, et al. Gender-transformative programming with men and boys to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights: a systematic review of intervention studies. BMJ Glob Health. 2020;5(10):e002997. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002997

Dworkin S L, Marques M, Montoya O, Keedi A, Amin A. How can gender transformative programmes with men advance women’s health and empowerment?BMJ Opinion, 19 August 2020 

Davis, M. F., & Khosla, R. (2020). Infertility and Human Rights: A Jurisprudential Survey. Columbia Journal of Gender and Law40(1), 1–45. https://doi.org/10.7916/cjgl.v40i1.6847

Sen G, Iyer A, Chattopadhyay S, Khosla R. When accountability meets power: realizing sexual and reproductive health and rights. Int J Equity Health. 2020;19(1):111. Published 2020 Jul 8. doi:10.1186/s12939-020-01221-4

Zampas C, Amin A, O'Hanlon L, et al. Operationalizing a Human Rights-Based Approach to Address Mistreatment against Women during Childbirth. Health Hum Rights. 2020;22(1):251-264.

Schaaf M, Boydell V, Sheff MC, Kay C, Torabi F, Khosla R. Accountability strategies for sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights in humanitarian settings: a scoping review. Confl Health. 2020;14:18. Published 2020 Apr 7. doi:10.1186/s13031-020-00264-2

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