SRHR
To be written by SolthisWhat are the main challenges in the area of sexual and reproductive health?
Access to sexual and reproductive health and the full realization of rights remain major challenges.
West Africa accounts for a significant proportion of the continent’s maternal deaths. Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable: the region has a notably high rate of pregnancies among girls under 15 and the highest level of unmet contraceptive needs among adolescents.
Comprehensive sexuality education programs also face strong resistance, and gender-based violence continues to shape people’s life trajectories.
Solthis advocates for a feminist approach to healthcare centered on three pillars:
- empowering women and promoting self-care and the reclaiming of their bodies;
- integrating the fight against gender-based and sexual violence into all actions, from prevention to care;
- centering services on people, particularly women and their specific needs.
How does Solthis work to improve access to sexual and reproductive health?
Solthis works with the most vulnerable and marginalized populations, including people living with HIV, sex workers, and LGBT+ individuals.
The organization works both to strengthen the exercise of sexual and reproductive rights and to improve access to comprehensive, high-quality sexual and reproductive health services.
This approach specifically includes:
- comprehensive sexuality education;
- contraceptive counseling and services;
- prevention and treatment of STIs and HIV;
- the prevention, screening, and treatment of cervical cancer;
- the prevention, screening, and treatment of gender-based violence;
- the specific needs of young people, adolescents, and people in vulnerable situations;
- the integration of sexual and reproductive health and HIV services;
- comprehensive abortion care.
At the primary health care level, this approach also includes the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, prenatal care, emergency obstetric and neonatal care, postnatal care, and referral to appropriate facilities.