ABSTRACT
The World Health Organization (WHO, 2015) defines sexual health as a complete state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality. This means that good sexual health is measured not just by absence of disease, but through a person’s capacity to pursue a safe and pleasurable sexual life that contributes to their overall well-being. This definition aligns with an increasing body of international research that shows that the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among women is strongly associated with structural, social, and cultural factors. Women who are most vulnerable to HIV or STIs are those who have less agency over their sexuality and sexual relationships or more limited access to education and clinical care. In this way, sexual health is a product of the social environment and the day-to-day realities of women’s lives. This chapter provides an overview of STI and HIV rates among women across the world, drawing attention to the relationship between social and structural factors – including poverty, gender-based inequality and violence – and women’s vulnerability to poor sexual health outcomes.
