About this Research Topic
Sustainable Development Goal 3.7 aims to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including family planning (FP), information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies. Sexual and reproductive health (SRH)care encompasses a broad range of family planning services that are critical to meeting the needs of men, women, and families, particularly in LMICs. Comprehensive SRH programs include a spectrum of conditions that both affect the reproductive tract and influence women’s overall well-being and mental health, including endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), peri and menopausal symptoms, infertility, pelvic pain, menstrual disorders, associated cancers, and others.
Little is known about these conditions in LMICs. A comprehensive approach that addresses the full complement of the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs and realities of all persons across the life course is critical for the health and well-being of women, men, girls, and boys, and those of future generations. However, much of the sexual and reproductive research and programs tend to focus on contraceptive development, access and services.
In recent decades, there have been scientific and technological advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of several SRH conditions, but these efforts have been mostly informed by evidence from developed countries and the benefits are not evenly distributed. Despite the importance of women's health, access to a full range of SRH programs and services that include gynecological conditions at its fullest are limited, particularly in resource constrained settings and countries. In low- and middle-income (LMICs) where half of the world’s population lives, there is a general lack of investments in research, innovations and access to a broad range of high-quality and culturally-appropriate health services beyond FP and contraception. Therefore, there is an urgent need for investments in context and culturally appropriate research to inform the development and implementation of interventions, theories, frameworks, and policies to address the unique SRH needs and realities in LMICs.
This Research Topic seeks observational studies, intervention studies, systematic reviews, commentaries, case studies, clinical research, and provider and end-user perspectives that showcase novel research that contextualize and address the unique sexual and reproductive health needs of people in LMICs beyond contraception and FP needs. In addition to expanding our understanding of SRH, we wish to amplify new voices and perspectives. As such, we are particularly interested in work conducted by researchers from the Global South. Topic areas include different gynecological conditions such as endometriosis, PCOS, infertility, menstrual disorders, menopause, pelvic pain, gynecological cancers which include, but are not limited to;
● Prevalence of gynecological conditions affecting women in LMICs
● Association between mental health and SRH conditions beyond contraceptive access and use in women from LMICs
● Relationships between social, structural factors and SRH outcomes beyond FP and contraception access and use
● Tools, approaches, and strategies that support self-care, including new diagnosis (self-tests or not) applicable to different LMIC settings
● Diagnosis and treatment of infertility in LMICs
● The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SRH beyond FP and contraceptive access and use
● Vaginal microbiome and its potential use for diagnosis and treatment of gynecological conditions in LMICs
● Access to care (telemedicine, mHealth) and access treatment of gynecological conditions beyond FP and contraception
Little is known about these conditions in LMICs. A comprehensive approach that addresses the full complement of the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs and realities of all persons across the life course is critical for the health and well-being of women, men, girls, and boys, and those of future generations. However, much of the sexual and reproductive research and programs tend to focus on contraceptive development, access and services.
In recent decades, there have been scientific and technological advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of several SRH conditions, but these efforts have been mostly informed by evidence from developed countries and the benefits are not evenly distributed. Despite the importance of women's health, access to a full range of SRH programs and services that include gynecological conditions at its fullest are limited, particularly in resource constrained settings and countries. In low- and middle-income (LMICs) where half of the world’s population lives, there is a general lack of investments in research, innovations and access to a broad range of high-quality and culturally-appropriate health services beyond FP and contraception. Therefore, there is an urgent need for investments in context and culturally appropriate research to inform the development and implementation of interventions, theories, frameworks, and policies to address the unique SRH needs and realities in LMICs.
This Research Topic seeks observational studies, intervention studies, systematic reviews, commentaries, case studies, clinical research, and provider and end-user perspectives that showcase novel research that contextualize and address the unique sexual and reproductive health needs of people in LMICs beyond contraception and FP needs. In addition to expanding our understanding of SRH, we wish to amplify new voices and perspectives. As such, we are particularly interested in work conducted by researchers from the Global South. Topic areas include different gynecological conditions such as endometriosis, PCOS, infertility, menstrual disorders, menopause, pelvic pain, gynecological cancers which include, but are not limited to;
● Prevalence of gynecological conditions affecting women in LMICs
● Association between mental health and SRH conditions beyond contraceptive access and use in women from LMICs
● Relationships between social, structural factors and SRH outcomes beyond FP and contraception access and use
● Tools, approaches, and strategies that support self-care, including new diagnosis (self-tests or not) applicable to different LMIC settings
● Diagnosis and treatment of infertility in LMICs
● The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SRH beyond FP and contraceptive access and use
● Vaginal microbiome and its potential use for diagnosis and treatment of gynecological conditions in LMICs
● Access to care (telemedicine, mHealth) and access treatment of gynecological conditions beyond FP and contraception
Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health, LMICs
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