By Hayase Hakariya The Japanese government finally initiated a market test to sell emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs), levonorgestrel (approved in 2011 in Japan), or its generic product, at the designated pharmacies on 28th November 2023. This has been achieved through the long-lasting 6-year endeavours by individuals or voluntary groups to voice easier access for […]
Latest articles
Defending the use of the term ‘obstetric violence’
By Ezio Di Nucci Here I defend ’obstetric violence’: not the practice, but its name – and more generally the idea that some obstetric practices deserve to be called acts of violence, contrary to what has recently been argued. This question is relevant beyond sexual and reproductive health: what is at stake is the very […]
The UK 2nd Conviction against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
By Juliet Albert On the 26th of October 2023 the Crown Prosecution Service convicted a woman of trafficking a three-year-old British child to Kenya to be subjected to FGM. The offence took place in 2006. Nine years later (in 2015), the victim confided in a schoolteacher and the police were subsequently informed. This is […]
Should we abolish ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health’?
By Ezio De Nucci Should we abolish ‘Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH)? This provocative question might sound odd, especially after the US Supreme Court scrapped the federal right to abortion. Surely, we need more focus on ‘sexual and reproductive health’, not less! But actually, the issue is not as simple, especially after distinguishing between […]
Contraception prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic – opportunities and challenges
By Malcolm Moffat, Tanha Begum, Emer Cullen & Judith Rankin When the COVID-19 pandemic began almost four years ago, few of us could have predicted the profound and enduring impact that the events of 2020 and 2021 would have on all our lives. Not least among those impacts were the effects that lockdown restrictions […]
Application of a novel abortion care quality measurement tool (ACQTool) in Bangladesh
By Laura E Jacobson, Sarah E. Baum, Erin Pearson, Rezwana Chowdhury, Nirali M. Chakraborty, Julia M. Goodman, Caitlin Gerdts, & Blair G. Darney Measuring and improving quality of care is an essential part of ensuring safe and effective health services; however, until recently measuring the quality of abortion care has been hampered by a lack of shared definitions […]
On Men’s Duty to get a Vasectomy under the Patriarchy
By Ezio Di Nucci Last night I was running with my public health colleagues (the token philosopher ended up being faster than our Head of Department from Biostat, by the way – which sure must have a symbolic meaning in the modern academy). After the race, conversation turned to my forthcoming vasectomy (anecdotally, […]
How can we Offer Better Contraceptive Care for Trans, Nonbinary and Gender-Diverse People?
By Tyne Baynton Cairns (They/Them) & Julia Bailey (She/They) Contraceptive care guidelines are usually designed for cisgender, heterosexual women. In the heavily gendered context of contraceptive care, gender dysphoria is common among trans, non-binary and gender-diverse people. In healthcare settings, gender dysphoria can be brought on by the environment, the behaviours of providers, and […]
Capturing Clouds: Listening to young survivors in the design of their journey through Paediatric Sexual Abuse Referral Centre services
By Jane Meyrick, Michelle Cutland and Rae Adams Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) is increasingly recognised and the impact often lifelong. With at least 15% of girls/young women and 5% of boys/young men experiencing some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16 years the role of sexual health is crucial. Sexual Health Follow-up (SHFU) […]
Interest in Advance Provision of Abortion Pills: A National Survey of Potential Users in the USA
By Julia Tasset, Klaira Lerma and Paul Blumenthal Access to safe and legal abortion services is a fundamental aspect of reproductive health care and bodily autonomy. While medication abortion is safe and effective, pregnant people face mounting access barriers. In the United States (US), since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, 13 states […]