Sex is Politics
– Sexuality, Rights and Development Policies

RFSU has produced eight fact sheets with information regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). For your convenience, the fact sheets are published as pdf-files and available for downloading further down on this page.

Sex is Politics

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are controversial, and are contested by conservative, religious, cultural and political forces in many parts of the world.

Sex – a Private Choice

In many places in the world people lack the right to determine over their own sexuality, and also if and when they have children. The consequences of this, above all in the poorest countries, 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. This has a negative impact on the countries in the area of development. RFSU demands therefore that at least ten percent of Swedish development aid goes to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Young People Need the Facts About Sex

Young women under 24 run the greatest risk of dying from an unsafe abortion. Young people are also the group that, to the greatest extent, contract sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as HIV/AIDS. The lack of information and targeted services for young people is a serious problem. There are a billion people aged 15 to 24, and there are close to two billion under 15. Despite their number, young people are the ones who have the worst sexual and reproductive health.

Spread Information – not HIV

HIV is largely spread through sexual contact. HIV affects the poor more than the rich, and women more than men. To reverse the negative worldwide trend, RFSU demands that sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are given priority in the struggle against HIV and AIDS, that the rights of women and LGBT persons (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) are strengthened, and that more resources are put into getting men involved.

Political Action is Crucial

In Sweden sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are regarded as human rights. Abortion is regarded as a right essential for women to enjoy their human rights. Work on assuring these rights in the rest of the world has always been given priority. RFSU has been a strong force behind this political development.

Sex and Poverty

The UN Millennium Development Goals are the eight development goals jointly adopted by members of the UN in the year 2000. They are concerned with the reduction of poverty and improvement of global development, with target year 2015. Today, the goals are regarded as representing the guidelines for the development work of the UN.

Pregnancy should not be a Cause of Death

Maternal mortality and unsafe abortion are among the greatest causes of death of women worldwide. They could be avoided by investing more in women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). RFSU demands that abortions are legal, safe and accessible to all women, and that priority is given to maternal and child care in development aid.

Lack of Condoms Threatens the Fight Against Poverty

Since the population conference in Cairo major efforts have been made throughout the world to advocate safe sex, and also to prevent HIV and unwanted pregnancies. A self-evident precondition for this work to be effective is that contraceptives and other required supplies are made available to those who demand them. Organisations in many developing countries, however, testify that there is a major lack of condoms and other contraceptives.