Issues

Wether Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health for everyone will be possible to realise, depends heavily on the cooperation of world leaders and governments. Freedom of choice around sexuality and having children is on the international agenda since 1994. At the International Conference on Population and Development, the global community promised to make basic sexual and reproductive health services available to all by the year 2015. Even at later meetings and summits those agreements were affirmed, as at the World Summit of 2005 in New York.
Unfortunately, we must establish that those promises are not kept.

Shortage of Funding
In 1994 Western governments and world leaders pledged to help finance a plan to bring about sexual and reproductive health and rights for all by 2015. Almost without exception, those governments have failed to keep to their promise. The plan agreed is achievable, practical and economical, and could save countless lives. All that is preventing its realisation is a lack of funding.

Lack of and/or Innacurate Sexuality Education
Because of religious or cultural reasons young people do not receive any or accurate sexuality education. The policy of the Bush’ administration for example, promotes abstinence (i.e. no sex outside marriage) for young people not only in his own country but also in foreign countries. Developing countries give in because they are dependent on funding by donorcountries. In those countries young people receive the abstinence-only education. However, research shows that this abstinence-only method does not work.

Ban on condoms
Despite the AIDS issue, the Vatican is still against using condoms (sex is for married people). One of the cardinals even told myths about condoms. For example, that they have tiny holes, which are big enough for the HIV virus to get through. Not all Catholic leaders agree with this stand, but the official doctrine hasn’t changed.

Limited access to contraception
In many developing countries young people or unmarried couples do not have access to modern methods of contraception. Only married couples have access to those means. This mostly effects women and young people.

Unsafe abortion
In many countries abortion is illegal. A woman, who is confronted with an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, is often driven to an often unsafe abortion – partly because of the lack of education and contraception. In many cases this leads to the death of the woman, or she suffers from serious disease, disability or physical damage for the rest of her life.
Access to safe abortion is a key issue in sexual self-determination.