Sexual health in the South African context

Abstract

Sexual health is a major area of relevance to global public health. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stipulated that every person has the right to sexual health. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has identified sexual rights and sexual health education and training as a global priority. There is also growing interest in human rights and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) issues internationally. However, there are few centres of excellence for sexual health in low- and middle-income countries, where the vast majority of the world’s population live, and there is a real need to establish such resources.