What is sexual & reproductive health?
It's about far more than avoiding disease.
- Physical, emotional, and social wellbeing in all matters of reproduction.
- The ability to make free, informed decisions about your body.
- Access to accurate information and respectful care.
- A lifelong part of health — not only during pregnancy.
The female reproductive system
The organs that make menstruation, pregnancy, and birth possible.
- Ovaries store eggs and make hormones like estrogen.
- Fallopian tubes carry an egg toward the uterus.
- The uterus (womb) is where a baby can grow.
- The vagina and cervix connect the uterus to outside the body.
The male reproductive system
The organs that produce and deliver sperm.
- Testes make sperm and the hormone testosterone.
- Sperm mature and are stored before ejaculation.
- Semen carries sperm out through the penis.
- It takes both an egg and sperm to start a pregnancy.
Hormones and the reproductive cycle
Chemical messengers guide fertility over time.
- Hormones drive puberty, the menstrual cycle, and fertility.
- In women, estrogen and progesterone rise and fall each month.
- Hormones change across life: puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.
- Big hormone shifts can affect mood, energy, and the body.
Key terms to keep
- Reproductive system: The body organs involved in reproduction.
- Ovary: Organ that stores eggs and makes hormones in females.
- Uterus (womb): The organ where a baby grows during pregnancy.
- Sperm: The male cell that can fertilize an egg.
- Fertilization: When sperm and egg join to start a pregnancy.
- SRH: Sexual and reproductive health — wellbeing in all matters of reproduction.
SRH across the life course
Your needs change from adolescence to older age.
- Adolescence: understanding puberty, bodies, and boundaries.
- Reproductive years: family planning, pregnancy, and prevention.
- Later life: menopause and ongoing wellbeing.
- At every stage, you deserve information and respectful care.
Myth or reality?
Tap each statement to test what you think you know.
- Sexual and reproductive health is only relevant during pregnancy (Myth) — SRH is a lifelong part of health — from adolescence through older age.
- Learning about your body helps you take care of it (Reality) — Accurate information helps you make informed, healthy choices.
- It takes both an egg and sperm to start a pregnancy (Reality) — Fertilization joins an egg and sperm — reproduction involves both partners.
- Only women need to know about reproductive health (Myth) — SRH matters for everyone; shared knowledge supports healthier decisions.
Your rights
Everyone has reproductive rights, recognized worldwide.
- The right to accurate information and education.
- The right to decide freely about your own body and family.
- The right to access health services without coercion.
- The right to privacy, dignity, and respect.
Trusted vs. unreliable information
Tap each source to see whether to trust it.
- A trained health worker or clinic (Trusted) — Health professionals give accurate, personalized, confidential advice.
- Rumours and gossip from others (Unreliable) — Myths spread easily; check with a health worker before believing them.
- Official health sources (WHO, ministry of health) (Trusted) — Evidence-based and regularly updated.
- Random social media claims (Unreliable) — Often inaccurate or misleading — verify before acting.
Puberty most commonly begins between about 8–13 in girls and 9–14 in boys, though the range varies. It's the time the body matures and becomes able to reproduce — a normal, gradual process.
SRH fact or myth?
Tap each item, then whether it's a fact or a myth.
- SRH is a normal part of lifelong health (Fact)
- Everyone has a right to accurate information (Fact)
- Both partners are involved in reproduction (Fact)
- Only women need reproductive health knowledge (Myth)
- You should rely on rumours for health facts (Myth)
- Learning about your body is shameful (Myth)
Getting informed and getting care
Simple steps to take charge of your SRH.
- Learn the basics of your body — you've started here.
- Use trusted sources; question rumours.
- Know your local clinic and the services it offers.
- Ask questions — health workers are there to help, confidentially.
When to seek care
Some signs mean check with a health worker.
- Unusual pain, bleeding, or discharge from the genitals.
- A missed period or a possible pregnancy you want to confirm.
- Any concern after sex, or a possible infection.
- Questions about contraception, fertility, or your body.
Recap & what's next
- SRH is lifelong wellbeing in all matters of reproduction.
- Know the basics of the reproductive system and hormones.
- You have rights to information, choice, and respectful care.
- Next up: menstrual health.
