Sexuality: Not Just a Reproductive Health Matter

Abstract

Recent activities of the international women's health movement have generated considerable interest in women's sexuality and gender research. The emergence of AIDS and STDs in populations other than 'high risk' groups and the emphasis on preventive efforts rather than curative ones, has sent public health professionals into a frenzied search for clues about 'everyday' sexuality and sexual behavior in relation to HIV/AIDS. This is reminiscent of earlier attempts of the population control movement to understand sexual behavior in relation to fertility including, for example, counting the number of coital acts in relation to contraceptive use, because of fears of a population explosion in the developing world. Similarly, much of the current reproductive health inquiry into women's sexuality is limited to understanding issues of sexual partners and practices, as if understanding these elements alone would reveal major clues' for carrying out successful interventions to prevent disease and unwanted pregnancy.