Reproductive health opportunities and challenges

Almost everyone faces reproductive health problems throughout their lives, but very few people in our country pay serious attention to their own reproductive health or that of their family members, and compared to developed countries, we also have too much to do. Once they enter the marriage hall, people will face a series of problems such as sexual desires and requirements, reproduction, contraception, sexual function and even sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In China, 800,000 to 1 million disabled children are born a year, and there are many low-birth-weight babies, all of which directly affect the overall quality of the Chinese nation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), reproductive health accounts for about 1/5 of the total burden of disease, so it is clear that reproductive health is a very important issue, which involves a very wide range of people, and does not only refer to the issue of disease, but is also a concept of health, which is an important aspect of the measurement of the quality of life. Reproductive health is not only limited to having children Many people think of infertility, sexual dysfunction, and reproductive system diseases when they think of reproductive health, which is basically a disease-oriented medical concept. In fact, reproductive health is a broader concept, and it is also facing multiple obstacles to its development in China. The combined contraceptive rate in China is 90%, which has reached the level of developed countries, but the vast majority of methods are for women, and there are still more gaps in men’s contraceptive technology. In addition, abortions due to contraceptive failure still account for 46 per cent of the total number of abortions in China, and 35 per cent of unwanted pregnancies occur after the placement of intrauterine devices. New and better methods of contraception and informed choice in the provision of quality reproductive health services remain the focus of research in this area. Worldwide, the incidence of infertility accounts for 10 to 15 percent of married couples of reproductive age, and infertility is more common in China, especially among white-collar youth. According to the statistics of Human Reproduction Program (HRP) under the World Health Organization, infertility, together with cardiovascular diseases and tumors, are listed as the three major diseases affecting human life and health today, and most of them are caused by infections of the reproductive tract, including sexually transmitted diseases, post-partum or post-abortion infections, and pelvic tuberculosis. The problems of premarital sex education and premarital sex among Chinese adolescents cannot be ignored. According to a survey, 80% of the women who have abortions each year are younger than 24 years old, and unmarried abortions account for 3/4 of all abortions. early sexual behavior, multiple sexual partners, out-of-wedlock pregnancies, premature pregnancies, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and AIDS infections have seriously harmed the physical and mental health of these young people. As they age, the problem of sexual dysfunction may become more prominent, bringing with it a host of social, psychological and family problems. There is also the problem of reproductive tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases. The prevalence of reproductive tract infections and other gynecological diseases among married women in China is as high as 70%. The incidence of genitourinary infections in men with prostatitis is also on a markedly increasing trend, and is one of the main causes of male infertility. In addition, there are menopausal syndrome, reproductive system tumors, etc., also belong to the category of reproductive health. Reproductive health should not just be a woman’s business Women have always been the main bearer of human fertility regulation, China’s contraceptive measures used by couples of childbearing age, the proportion of women accounted for about 85%. Since the burden of reproduction is unfairly placed on women, and since women’s social status is low and the services provided to women are far from adequate, many international organizations have proposed a “women-centred” approach to the overall task of promoting reproductive health. However, since reproductive health includes both men and women, and since fertility and family planning are the business of both men and women, and since reproductive health also affects both men and women, it is impossible to achieve reproductive health for the entire population without the participation of men and without taking into full consideration the various needs of men’s reproductive health and reinforcing men’s responsibilities and obligations. This view has been increasingly recognized in practice, and men’s involvement in family planning and reproductive health has become a hot topic of discussion at the international level. A recent survey shows that about 40% of women with unwanted pregnancies leading to abortion are due to inappropriate condom use. Inappropriate condom use is directly related to men. Therefore, it is important to promote male involvement in improving the reproductive health of the population, especially women’s reproductive health, including motherhood security, maternal and child health and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, without which it will be difficult to achieve the reproductive health of the population. Reproductive health cannot be maintained by medication and injections alone There is a common misconception that reproductive health issues are viewed in isolation. For example, when infertility is a problem, so-called sperm enhancers are used to increase sperm count and vitality or assisted reproductive technology (ART) is relied upon; when sexual dysfunction is a problem, Viagra or renal tonic drugs are used. In fact, what we need to do is far from simple. Reproductive health and sexual health are complex, multifactorial issues, and the measures taken, including preventive, curative, and health-promotion measures, are necessarily multifactorial and systematic. According to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), “A quality service is one that meets the needs of its clients from start to finish.” Taking abortion as an example, they suggest promoting the concept of “post-abortion services” (PAC), which includes five basic components: post-abortion community services, post-abortion counseling services, post-abortion complication management services, post-abortion family planning services, and integrated reproductive and other health services. The implementation of this concept has led to a significant increase in the effective contraceptive rate and a significant decrease in the abortion rate in developed countries, including the United States, Russia and Europe, in developing countries such as Mexico and Turkey, and in third world countries such as Guatemala, Mozambique and Argentina. The experience of these countries has amply demonstrated that the promotion and implementation of post-abortion services is an effective way to reduce the abortion rate. To date, formal, standardized post-abortion services have not been fully implemented in China. The sexual and reproductive health of young people in developing countries is currently facing a serious test. Due to the influence of traditional attitudes, China is basically in a state of blankness on the issue of sexual and reproductive health education for young people, and education, health, women’s and family planning departments have yet to form a consensus on educating young people about sexuality and health. In response, appropriate measures should be developed to reduce unwed pregnancies and abortions by strengthening education on adolescent reproductive health, helping adolescents to enhance their sense of responsibility, and actively guiding young people in choosing behaviors that are responsible for themselves, their families and society.