Sexual Health: Basic Concepts

• Course by Asst. Prof. Tülay Kavlak on Basic Concepts of Sexual Health.
• Explores sexual and reproductive health, perspectives on sexuality, and sexual rights.

Reproductive Health

• Defined as the absence of disease and disability in areas related to the reproductive system, including mental and social well-being.
• Involves a satisfying and safe sex life with the ability to reproduce freely.

Sexual Health

• A fundamental dimension of life encompassing sex, gender, sexual orientation, eroticism, love, and reproduction.
• Begins before birth, continues throughout life, and is influenced by ethical, cultural, and moral factors.
• Includes the body and mind, shaping attitudes, behaviors, and values.
• Encompasses all of life by including body and mind and influencing values, attitudes, behaviors, and relationships.

Sexual Health by WHO

• Consists of the physical, emotional, intellectual, and social aspects of sexuality.
• Enriches personality, communication, and love.
• Includes the right to access sexual information and experience sexual intercourse for pleasure or reproduction.

Maintaining Sexual Health

• Includes procreation and is influenced by ethical, cultural, and moral factors.
• Focuses on the health of the individual by including the physiological, psychological, spiritual and emotional state of the individual.

Sexual Health Problems

• Disease and disability affects reproductive and sexual functions.
• Absence of fear, shame, and false beliefs.
• Enables satisfying relations in accordance with social morality.

Factors that Influence Sexual Health

• Socio-cultural status
• Personal life
• Strengthening of personal relationships

Emergence of Sexual/Reproductive Health (SH/RH)

• Issues related to women's reproduction were first brought to the fore focusing on fertility problems between 15-49 years
• Emerged by bringing to the fore the health problems related to fertility between the ages of 15-49 which is her fertile age
• Involves maternal/child health and family planning.
• Emphasizes individual needs by combining concepts like reproduction, women's health, and family planning.

Sexual/Reproductive Health (SH/RH) Today

• Addresses concerns within the life cycle, from intrauterine period to old age.
• A concept was first raised at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo in 1994.
• The concept was defined to address women's health needs within gender equality, not only as mothers.

4th World Conference on Women (1995, Beijing)

• Emphasized reproductive health and adopted "gender equality and development".
• This approach aimed to empower women and develop their reproductive health.

Recommendations from 4th World Conference on Women

• Include women's educational, economic, and social empowerment
• Enforcing legal and social equality between sexes
• Eliminating of discrimination against the girl child
• Ensuring the reproductive rights.
• Providing safe maternity services.
• Preventing miscarriages.

Improving Sexual Health for Adolescents

• Sexual and reproductive health should be taught.
• Ensuring adolescents benefit from support services.
• Preventing the spread of STDs and HIV.
• Improving reproductive health services for at-risk groups.
• Mobilizing resources for SH/RH development.

Elements of Sexual and Reproductive Health

• Normal function of reproductive organs
• Healthy and happy sexual life
• Ability to realize sexuality and fertility without coercion
• The decision to have/not have kids
• Preventing sexually transmitted diseases

Scope of Sexual/Reproductive Health Services

• Education for responsible parenting
• Family planning services
• Maternal health services providing prenatal, birth and postpartum care
• Control genital infections
• Prevention against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and fight against AIDs
• Prevention and treatment of infertility
• Putting an end to unsafe abortions
• Nutrition

More Scopes of Sexual/Reproductive Health Services

• Infant and child health
• Adolescent health and sexuality
• Healthy lifestyle
• Regulation of environmental and sociocultural factors

Perspectives on Sexuality

• Sexuality can be expressed on a biological, psychological, sociocultural dimensions that can influence and shape attitudes

Biological Sexuality

• Complex interactions among 30+ hormones where the body participates with the central nervous system and genital organs.
• Diseases, drugs, and periodic situations like pregnancy can affect sexuality.
• A healthy, functioning body is essential for a healthy sex life.

Psychological Sexuality

• Human psychology affects the sexual experiences, central and peripheral nervous systems governs sexual function
• Attitudes, personality, cognitive functions, past experience can determine our approach to sexuality and choices.

Socio-cultural Sexuality

• Family, traditions, and beliefs determine sexual attitudes.
• Sociocultural causes can majorly influence sexual dysfunctions.

Considerations of all Perspectives

• All perspectives have an important place for sexual life to be healthy
• Experiences will be taken into account to a sexual problem or sexual dysfunction that needs to be introduced
• Modern treatment approaches are based on biopsychosocial factors for individual considerations.

Standardizing Sexual Health

• Sexual health has been determined as a fundamental right by the World Health Organization.
• WHO also defines sexual health as a physical, psychosocial, and sociocultural wellbeing.

WHO Programs

• Promotes universal human rights based on freedom, dignity and equality.
• Guarantees, encourages, respects sexual rights societies.

Sexual Rights

• Based on freedom, dignity, and equality of expression.
• Include freedom, sexual autonomy, and security/privacy,.
• Also cover equality, pleasure, expression, and relationships.
• Right to free reproductive choices.
• Access to information, education, + healthcare.

Declarations for Health

• Allow individuals to express sexual potential.
• Guarantee freedom from coercion, abuse, or harassment.
• Include sexual personal and social ethics and provide bodies free from violence.

World Association for Sexual Health's Declaration

• Includes equality and freedom to have relationships.
• Must be supported by accurate information and education.

Sexual/Reproductive Health Problems

• Gender discrimination in youth and adulthood.
• Individuals are unable to have their sexuality be lived without conflict.
• Entering relationships without knowing risks
• Inability to benefit qualified treatments