[Re: https://www.hifa.org/dgroups-rss/cervical-cancer-65-educating-girls-abou... ]
Dear Amal Yusuf,
Thankyoo for your message. You note that: 'schools can provide culturally appropriate reproductive health education, helping girls understand their bodies and recognise when they need medical advice'
This would seem to be a critically important part of information and education on cervical cancer and other aspects of reproductive health.
If such information were included in the national curriculum, this would provide a foundation for Sustainable Development Goal 3.7:
'Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes'
https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/sdg-target-3_7-sexual-an...
Notably, sexual and reproductive health is the only area of health that specifically recognises "information" in the SDGs. And yet paradoxically, sexual and reproductive health information is severely constrained in many countries and settings.
I would like to ask all HIFA members: What is the status of sexual and reproductive health education and information in your country?
Afghanistan is an example where this is very limited. Would anyone like to comment on this or other countries?
This paper provides some insights from around the world:
Understanding Comprehensive Sexuality Education: A Worldwide Narrative Review
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11683015/
'This review underscores the need for CSE, especially given its critical role in preventive healthcare and overall well-being. In the Western world, Europe generally promotes CSE from a young age, which is linked to low rates of teenage pregnancies and STIs. The United States and Canada show variability, with Canada favoring a comprehensive approach. In Asia, CSE faces resistance due to conservative norms, limiting access to SRH information. Countries like Bangladesh, Mongolia, and Nepal have partial policies, while China and Pakistan emphasize abstinence and face sociopolitical barriers. In India, strong cultural taboos impede CSE, with bans in multiple states and limited adolescent-focused sexual and reproductive health education measures, especially for unmarried teens.'
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org