Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Sexual and reproductive health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being in everything concerned with the reproductive system and its functions. This also means that all people have the right to a satisfying and safe sex life. They have the right to determine if, when and with whom they have sex, if and when they have children and with whom. In many places in the world, men, women and young people are denied these rights and the consequences are very serious: thousands of people die each day because they do not have access to healthcare and information, or the power to change their situation.

Sexual and reproductive ill health accounts for up to 20% of the global health burden and has a hugely negative impact on countries in the area of development. As a result many politicians have committed to strive to allocate a greater percentage of national funding to sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS in national health budgets. Sexuality, pregnancy and child bearing are linked to issues of poverty, healthcare, education, work, power, population movements and equality. Without making these links clear, it is not possible to achieve durable effects in the struggle against poverty.

The IFPA demands:

• That at least ten percent of Irish development aid goes to SRHR

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