Division of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Wellbeing – April 2022 update

Division Director: Dr Ivonne Diaz Yamal

The Division on SRHW has highlighted four main areas of focus: reproductive rights and women's wellbeing; safe abortion and public health; adolescent pregnancy – deficiency of public systems in contraception; and STD's and their reproductive incidence in public health.  

The division worked on a conference for the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) congress, which took place from 4–7 April. The division is working on the proposals for the scientific programme for the next FIGO World Congress, and proposed a session on sexual and reproductive health entitled “A tour on contraception, abortion and infertility”. 

The division will also be developing a FIGO Statement reinforcing sexual and reproductive health goals: allowing women to decide when they get pregnant, how to avoid getting pregnant, and how they can achieve a safe reproductive life. 

Committee on Contraception

Committee Chair: Dr Aparna Sridhar 

The Committee on Contraception participated in FIGO’s International Women’s Day campaign to highlight the need for adolescent contraception.  

It has planned different education projects including podcasts for contraception education focused on educating the next generation of OBGYNS, and the identification of existing no cost contraception educational information to develop a resource list named “Featured by FIGO”.  

A collaborative webinar with FIGO’s Committee on Safe Abortion is in progress on the topic of post abortion contraception. For World Contraception Day (September 2022) the committee is also planning infographics to highlight non-contraceptive benefits of contraception and an essay contest for WATOG members in training: “Envisioning the Role of Contraception in the Future of Women’s Reproductive Health”. 

A collaboration with FIGO’s committees on menstrual disorders and women’s cancer is underway to generate manuscripts to highlight the use of contraception for the management of Abnormal Uterine Bleeding and on the use of contraception for the prevention of gynaecological cancer, respectively. 

Committee on Safe Abortion

Committee Chair: Dr Teresa Bombas  

The Committee on Safe Abortion has published a statement: FIGO Calls for the Total Decriminalisation of Safe Abortion. It will continue to work on the publication of FIGO Statements, such as the SRH curriculum statement.

It will collaborate with the division on a webinar in July, as well as deliver the September 2022 FIGO global webinar, together with the Committee on Contraception. The development of a campaign for sexual and reproductive health care is currently under discussion, as well as the committee’s participation at the International Federation of Abortion and Contraception Professionals (FIAPAC) Congress (8–9 September 2022). 

Committee on Reproductive Medicine, Endocrinology and Infertility (REI)

Committee Chair: Dr Jaideep Malhotra  

The committee on REI is currently developing a masterclass series on developing a better understanding of PCOS, due to begin in May 2022, and a series on infertility updates. 

The committee will be publishing a book on fertility preservation and a FIGO Statement, both in collaboration with FIGO’s Committee on Women’s Cancer.  

To support fertility experts, initiatives will be carried out such as the Fertility Education Global Partnership Initiative with Joyce Harper and the Fertility Nurses Training Programme. Finally, to raise awareness of their focus for the public, the committee will be producing infographics and podcasts on infertility and engage influencers on social media.