Sexual health is relevant throughout a person’s life, through to adolescence and into older age. The World Health Organization (WHO) working definition of sexual health addresses not only physical health, but embraces a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships.
The theme of this year’s World Sexual Health Day is ‘Let’s Talk Pleasure’. In February 2022, WHO, HRP and partners published an analysis on the need to consider sexual pleasure, not only risk of disease, in designing sexual health programmes. The systematic review and meta-analysis showed that sexual pleasure can be an important success factor for improving knowledge around sex and uptake of safer sex practices such as condom use.
“Sexual health education and services have traditionally promoted safer sex practices by focusing on risk reduction and preventing disease, without acknowledging how safer sex can also promote intimacy, pleasure, consent, and well-being,” said Dr Lianne Gonsalves, WHO/United Nations Special Programme HRP. “This research provides a simple message: programmes which better reflect the reasons people have sex – including for pleasure – see better health outcomes. The hope is that these results galvanize the sexual and reproductive health and rights community to promote services that educate and equip users to engage in sex that is safe, consensual, and pleasurable.”
