Written by Sam Ward
by Dr. Sam Ward – La Journal Du Médecin
The 14th edition of World Sexual Health Day (WSHD) will take place on September 4. This event is crucial for promoting sexual health, sexual rights, equity, and well-being for everyone. This year, the day will focus on the importance of healthy and positive relationships for sexual health.
This day was established in 2010 by Rosemary Coates, then-president of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS), and has quickly become an important event for raising public awareness and providing information on critical issues related to sexual health.
Since its inception, World Sexual Health Day has played a driving role in global change by drawing attention to the fundamental importance of sexual health as a basic right, as enshrined a quarter of a century ago in the AMSS Declaration on Sexual Rights. The purpose of this day is to bring together individuals, governments, organizations, and health care providers around a common goal: ensuring that everyone has access to accurate information and high-quality sexual health services.
2024: “+ Relationships”
Each year, the JMSS selects a central theme to raise awareness and promote dialogue on fundamental aspects of sexual health. In 2022, the theme was “pleasure,” emphasizing the importance of recognizing the right to sexual pleasure as an essential pillar of sexual health. In 2023, the focus was on consent, highlighting the crucial importance of respecting consent as a fundamental principle of sexual rights.
The theme for 2024 is “+ Relationships” (positive relationships). This theme emphasizes the need to develop healthy and positive relationships, which are central to sexual health. Interpersonal relationships encompass a broad spectrum of human interactions that go beyond romantic relationships and are based on fundamental values such as respect, autonomy, and communication. By emphasizing the importance of positive interactions, JMSS 2024 aims to encourage individuals and communities to recognize and foster relationships that promote sexual well-being throughout the year.
The UNESCO Chair
As a member of the Executive Committee of the UNESCO Chair and the person responsible for international affairs, my role is to oversee the appointment of national correspondents for the Chair, with the aim of influencing the integration of principles related to sexual health and human rights into the policies and practices of various institutions within a country. This role is crucial to expanding the impact of World Sexual Health Day and ensuring that sexual education and equity are accessible to everyone, thereby promoting positive and respectful relationships on an international level.
The UNESCO Chair in Sexual Health and Human Rights plays an essential role in raising global awareness of and advocating for sexual rights. As a global platform for education and research, the Chair is committed to promoting awareness of sexual rights as a fundamental and universal human right. The Chair supports the training of health care professionals, the accumulation of knowledge, and the dissemination of best practices in the field of sexual health. We develop various MOOCs—free online courses that are accessible to everyone and available on the Comm Santé platform.
The Essential Role of Doctors
It should also be noted that a comic book titled “Mon Sexe, Mes Droits” was published in French in 2022, followed by an English translation earlier this year. This work aims to raise awareness about sexual health among citizens (and professionals) by telling the story of Zei, a star traveling through the galaxy of sexual health.
As doctors, we have a special responsibility to promote sexual health. Our practices are ideally suited to discussing these crucial issues with our patients. By talking openly about sexual health, we can play a key role in education, prevention, and support, thereby contributing to a better quality of life for our patients. World Sexuality Day reminds us that these conversations are not only necessary but also essential to the overall well-being of those we treat.
Sale!
World Sexuality Day is more than just a holiday; it is a call to action for governments, the media, organizations, and citizens around the world. It is a unique opportunity to highlight the importance of sexual rights and sexual justice while celebrating our right to healthy relationships, pleasure, and autonomy. In 2024, as part of the “+ Relationships” celebration, we will continue our commitment to expanding the reach of this day and emphasizing sexual health as a global priority, both now and in the years to come.
Let’s work together to make sexual health a topic that is discussed openly in our practices, for the well-being of all our patients.