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This article is the first in a series of papers on Sexual and Reproductive Health published by the Lancet. The article notes that worldwide, the burden of sexual and reproductive ill-health remains enormous: unsafe sex is the second most important risk factor for disease, disability and death in the poorest communities. The authors identify core components of sexual and reproductive health care. These are: improvement in maternal and newborn care, provision of high-quality services for family planning, elimination of unsafe abortion, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and promotion of healthy sexuality. The article provides an overview of these components and discusses trends and accomplishments in the fields.

Men’s sexual and reproductive health is examined and the authors observe that men can also be the subject of sexual and reproductive ill-health, for instance they acquire STIs and can be victims of non-consensual sex. Finally, the article investigates why sexual and reproductive health, with the exception of HIV and AIDS, has failed to capture broad support from the donor community. One explanation given is that funding and policy decisions concerning sexual and reproductive health are being increasingly influenced by conservative political, religious and cultural forces which have undermined recent progress in the field.

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