Zika, abortion and health emergencies: a review of contemporary debates

BACKGROUND

The Zika outbreak provides pertinent case study for considering the impact of health emergencies on abortion decision-making and/or for positioning abortion in global health security debates.

MAIN BODY

This paper provides a baseline of contemporary debates taking place in the intersection of two key health policy areas, and seeks to understand how health emergency preparedness frameworks and the broader global health security infrastructure is prepared to respond to future crises which implicate sexual and reproductive rights. Our paper suggests there are three key themes that emerge from the literature; 1) the lack of consideration of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in outbreak response 2) structural inequalities permeate the landscape of health emergencies, epitomised by Zika, and 3) the need for rights based approaches to health.

CONCLUSION

Global health security planning and response should specifically include programmatic activity for SRH provision during health emergencies.

The 'unexpected' Montevideo Consensus

This commentary examines the outcome of the First Latin American Regional Conference on Population and Development, held in Montevideo in August of 2013 to mark the twentieth anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and adopt forward-looking recommendations. While highly appraising the outcomes, this article maps the policy paradoxes of ICPD implementation in Latin America, in particular with regard to abortion, and charts challenges ahead to sustain the intersectional vision propelled by the 1994 Cairo Conference.

Cruzando a linha vermelha: questões não resolvidas no debate sobre direitos sexuais

No presente artigo busco apresentar as visões teóricas e políticas vigentes no campo que tem produzido um discurso sobre direitos sexuais, no sentido de chamar a atenção para as instabilidades e contradições que caracterizam as esferas nas quais vai sendo tecido um novo discurso "normativo" da sexualidade.

Adolescência, sexualidade e reprodução: construções culturais, controvérsias normativas, alternativas interpretativas

Esta nota aborda as construções culturais e jurídicas em torno dos direitos sexuais e reprodutivos dos adolescentes. A partir da ampliação dos direitos humanos, no sentido de incluir as prerrogativas de crianças e adolescentes, uma verdadeira mudança foi produzida a respeito do modo como as famílias, a sociedade e as comunidades devem lidar com essas etapas da vida. Apesar das recentes transformações positivas e progressistas no que se refere à legislação e à assistência em saúde nesse momento da vida, persistem no Brasil e em outros países dificuldades para aplicar e interpretar adequadamente a legislação específica, especialmente ao se tratar da sexualidade e reprodução na adolescência. Esse artigo apresenta uma discussão em torno das alternativas possíveis, buscando demonstrar que essas reformas legais não são imprescindíveis, uma vez que é possível ponderar princípios éticos e legais e, a partir de então, construir uma interpretação que garanta o exercício dos direitos sexuais e reprodutivos pelos adolescentes.

Thinking beyond ICPD+10: where should our movement be going?

In this roundtable discussion, three long-time international activists in the field of reproductive and sexual rights discuss the challenges facing the feminist women's health movement ten years after the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, and the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. Their conversation reflects on the nature of the global context in 1994-95 and how that context has changed a decode later, especially in light of growing conservatism and the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic. They consider the successes and limitations of the Cairo agenda and the strategic importance of taking a long-term view. In particular, they emphasise the need for strengthening health systems worldwide, advocating for better and more woman-friendly use of existing resources and building broader coalitions. Much of the conversation explores points of commonality and difference between feminist groups on the one hand, and medical and family planning organisations on the other, as well as ways of utilising such venues as the World Social Forum. Points of greatest promise internationally include the growing youth movement for sexual and reproductive health and rights and the potential for opening up larger alliances around sexual and bodily rights with HIV/AIDS activists, sex workers, people living with HIV and AIDS and human rights organisations.

The Population and Reproductive Health Programme in Brazil 1990-2002: Lessons Learned

The story of Brazil's evolution in sexual and reproductive health and rights during the 1990s documents not only a decade of change in the population field, but the powerful role of social movements in a democracy. Between October and December 2002, 23 people were interviewed about where they believe progress has been made in Brazil and where there are still needs in relation to population trends, sexual and reproductive rights, and health policies. This paper contains excerpts from the full report and covers the economic and political background of Brazil; the role of non-governmental and women's organisations in influencing the national agenda; the intersection of national and international agendas on population and development, HIV/AIDS, human rights, racism and other issues; changes in sexual and reproductive health policies; HIV/AIDS policy progress, perhaps most importantly mandatory free treatment for people with HIV/AIDS; recent progress in women's health, especially in relation to antenatal and obstetric services, and services addressing violence against women. Finally it describes the role of policy accountability mechanisms that aim to ensure that the many excellent policies that have been passed since 1990 are implemented in a decentralised health system of national, state and local management and services.