Sexual and reproductive health: Right not privilege.

Despite the prominence of international discourses on sexual and reproductive health and rights, much remains to be done to meet both needs and wants of individuals, couples and families. Socioeconomic disparities and geographic differentials, compounded by inappropriate policies besides resource constraints, hbave hampered the achievements of these rights to the extent that, in many jurisdictions, access to quality sexual and reproductive health services continues to be a privilege for some as opposed to a right for all. A rights-based approach, accompanied by appropriate policy formulation and sustained advocacy for resource mobilisation, can promote equity through community acceptance and individual behaviour change.

Violence against women: diverse facets.

Gender-based violence, a crucial element of sexual and reproductive health and rights, deserves intensified efforts for its control. Elimination of violence against women is an important aspect of social development, whether for policy formulation by governments, support by professional bodies or delivery of care at the grassroots level. Instead of being merely a platform on 25 November for oft-heard rhetorics, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women provides a unique opportunity for promoting the implementation of effective interventions for service reform addressing intimate-partner violence and sexual violence.

Heart is a heavy burden: cardiac toxicity in radiation oncology.

Over the years, radiotherapy has seen continual improvements and has become a standard treatment for most malignant tumors. Cardiotoxicity is a well-known radiotherapy side effect, leading to the risk of long-term morbidity and mortality in cancer survivors. Therefore, minimizing radiotherapy-related cardiotoxicity remains an important challenge in cancer care management.

Changing direction for health in Africa.

Current developments augurs well for sexual and reproductive health in Africa. With the African Union joining the G20 group, it is expected that its regional health priorities will be given special consideration. Social protection and empowerment of youth and women were prominent at the recent Summit of the Future.

Health aspects of the presidential election in the United States.

The prospect of a Biden-Trump rematch had raised concerns. The argument of Trump on the older age of Biden led to a boomerang effect when the latter was replaced by the much younger Kamala Harris whose mixed African and Asian ancestry should lead to her support on international issues. Swing voters might be attracted by her potential as the first female president.

Rights-based sexual and reproductive health services: a call for improved access for youth.

Constituting a valuable resource, youth deserve more attention regarding their rights through increased access to sexual and reproductive health services. Limitations in health service delivery for youth should be overcome, whether pertaining to restrictive legislation and policies or technical approaches. Clear clinical guidelines will improve quality of care thereby complying with national commitments to international legal instruments.

Value of self-care for sexual and reproductive health.

It is opportune for the Journal to contribute to Self-Care Month and Self-Care Day, as proclaimed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its efforts to promote self-care which is increasingly prominent in discourses in resource-limited settings for attaining universal health coverage. With sexual and reproductive health and rights facing hindrances, such as cultural barriers, self-care should facilitate access to services whilst maintaining privacy. Largely limited to pregnancy beforehand, self-care can now be promoted for the self-management of medical abortion, self-administration of injectable contraceptives and gender-affirming hormones besides self-collection of samples for infection testing.

Reaffirming the value of continuing professional development.

With advances in clinical knowledge and changing norms for health services delivery, lifelong learning is essential for practitioners of sexual and reproductive health. Clinical topics should be complemented by various items, such as communications and management, to optimise the provision of care. Aiming to update knowledge, improve skills and enhance competence, professional development can take the form of diverse modalities ranging from the reading of professional journals through attendance at meetings to formal participation in schemes organised by licensing authorities.

Emergency radiation therapy in modern-day practice: Now or never, or never again ?

Radiation therapy plays a fundamental role in oncological emergencies such as superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) and metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC). These are two examples of critical complications of metastatic cancer in terms of pain and functional impact (respiratory and/or neurological). The aim of this review is to explore the current indications, treatment options and outcomes for emergency radiotherapy regarding to these complications.

Sexual and reproductive health of baby boomers.

Early baby boomers constitute a cohort that was the first to benefit from numerous innovative interventions in sexual and reproductive health services as exemplified by hormonal contraception, legal abortion, invitro fertilisation, screening mammography and menopausal hormone replacement besides medication for male erectile dysfunction. The quest for a youth elixir continues to be a challenge for sexual health sciences.

Challenges for Measuring Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

With the adoption, in September 2015, of the Sustainable Development Goals with a time horizon of 2030, there is a dire need to exploit avenues for the monitoring of progress towards meeting the targets pertaining to sexual and reproductive health, whether at global, regional, national or grassroots level. The current process for the selection of indicators, to complement the targets, provides an opportunity for a concerted effort to improve monitoring procedures and ensure their relevance for programme adjustment and accountability. It is imperative for national processes to ensure effective reporting besides linkages with related sectors.