Good sexual and reproductive health is an important issue for women’s health and wellbeing. It is about healthy and respectful relationships, positive body image, having safe and satisfying sex lives, and the ability to make choices and decisions about their lives, including when, or whether, to consider having children.
Sexual and reproductive health is about respectful relationships, positive body image, having safe and satisfying sex lives, and the ability to make choices
Sexual and reproductive health affects women at every stage of their life as they go through changes associated with puberty, fertility, pregnancy, ageing and menopause. Physical changes caused by illness, medications, psychological effects like depression, what is happening in relationship or family, and general mental health and wellbeing can all also impact sexual and reproductive health.
Sexual and reproductive health is also linked to many other aspects of women’s health, including access to health screening (eg. mammogram, pap smears), testing for and protection from sexually transmitted infections (STI), contraception and fertility treatments.
This means that women need to use sexual and reproductive health services frequently and over their whole life course.
Thus, it is critical that women in the ACT have access to safe, affordable and acceptable health services, fertility and maternity care, and to timely support and services in relation to unplanned pregnancy (including termination of pregnancy services and support). Women also need accurate and reliable information so they can take control and make their own decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing.
Few qualitative studies have been conducted exploring sexual and reproductive health service experiences among Australian women. So in 2018 Women’s Health Matters undertook research to explore the views of ACT women about their sexual and reproductive health needs.
This study confirmed that for ACT women to be able to make informed decisions about what is best for them they wanted accurate, reliable and up to date local information about their options. But our research also showed:
Research we conducted in 2016 into pregnancy, birth and post-birth care in the ACT highlighted that more work needed to be done to improve the experience and health outcomes of women and their transition to motherhood. The report identified a need to more clearly assist ACT women to assess what local choices are available, which ones provided appropriate information and where and when they could be accessed.
Women’s Health Matters has for decades played a leading role in working to give ACT women access to safe, affordable and acceptable sexual and reproductive health services and advice.
This has included:
Factsheet: When you need help for your sexual & reproductive health
A women’s story: ‘Life with Endometriosis’ Art Photography
A women’s story: Taming the Shrew: Living with Endometriosis
August 2019
This report is the fourth in a series that looks at the views and experiences of health and health needs of ACT women, with the aim of improving options and access to services. This study sought the views of same sex attracted ACT women (both cis and trans) on: their health; their health needs; their access to services, supports and information; and the barriers to maintaining their health. The report explores issues such as sexual health, experiences of violence and anti-LGBTIQ behaviour.
January 2019
