Sexual Health: A New Focus for WHO - Essay Example

Achieving optimum sexual health is controlled by many factors that include physical, mental, emotional and social aspects of human beings. It is also important to know that sexual health is affected by socio-economic and political factors.The physical factors include chronic illnesses and even medical treatment that hinders the sexual functioning of the human being. These also include sexually related diseases such as STIs/ HIV and reproductive tract infections. Infertility also contributes to sexual health problems.

And this does not only serve as a physical factor but also emotional and mental. Among the mental factors, mental incapacity hinders us in achieving optimum sexual health. Retardation as a hindrance, have an effect on the sexual urges and the perceptions of a person suffering from mental retardation on sexuality. Anxiety and fear, on the other hand, is a by-factor of sexual coercions like rape and molestations. When anxiety is developed, a person looks at sexual relationships as a non-gratifying behavior.

When this happens, a person's sexual health is at risk. Social factors, on the other hand, go beyond medical concerns. These include sexual awareness leading to unwanted pregnancies, which can also have disturbing effects on the health of the women. It may also be linked with sexual coercion. Limited knowledge of safe sex also hinders general sexual health. Underlying forms of exclusion and inequality are considered social, economic and political factors contributing to poor sexual health. Some of these are poverty, gender disparity and unequal access to education.

Poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon encompasses the incapacity to suit fundamental needs making people vulnerable to violence and crime. It can also drive people into situations that put their sexual health in danger, such as sex work and other forms of business deal sex.Discrimination often places women at a disadvantage edge in terms of access to resources, power, choices, and opportunities. In some areas, the low stage of women has critical consequences on their sexual health. They may be forced to marry early due to child marriage and wife inheritance.

So women begin childbearing immediately through a non-consent agreement. They also need to engage in sexual intercourses as a marital obligation. Women's marital relationship also confirm prevailing norms like submissiveness to male authority. This submissiveness results in intimate partner violence. This includes acts of physical violence, mental and emotional abuse, sexual coercion and a variety of domineering behaviors.Sexuality is an essential element of human beings. Affection and sexual intimacy add to individual well-being and healthy relationships.

However, our sexual health is affected by many hindering factors. In addition, reckless sexual behaviors can result in a detrimental cost that includes unexpected pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, only if these were not consequences of violence. It is a challenge for us to be free from chronic diseases and illnesses that obstruct sexual and reproductive functioning. Everyone should be free from sexual violence, poverty, and inequality. However, challenges to achieving these goals remain.

Awareness of a person's sexual rights is a must. Knowing these rights prevents us from violating others. In order to attain and maintain sexual health, the sexual rights of all persons must be respected and protected.