About this Research Topic
Over the past decades, countries around the world have made remarkable gains in the provision of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. The United Nations reports that contraceptive prevalence has nearly doubled, from 35 per cent in 1970 to 63 per cent in 2017, However, universal access to safe and reliable contraception and other SRH services remains elusive.
For many people, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, the time and cost associated with traveling to health facilities and the stigma encountered from providers at health facilities represent significant barriers to SRH. In addition, congested clinics staffed with overburdened health providers constrain the provision of quality SRH services, further discouraging health seeking behavior of those who could most benefit. In terms of contraception, high rates of discontinuation and insufficient availability of method choice limit individuals’ ability to optimize their own health and that of their family. Many promising approaches and technologies for delivering SRH products and services outside of health facilities (e.g. private sector pharmacies and drug shops, mHealth, community health workers, STI self-tests, to name a few) have been developed and tried, yet have been slow to widely scale.
This Research Topic will welcome Original Research, Reviews, and Opinion pieces that highlight experiences from research and programs aimed at expanding access to quality SRH services through harnessing innovative technologies and delivery platforms, specifically those accessed or used outside of health facilities. The aim of this Topic is to advance the field towards the identification and scale up of successful programs and modalities that increase access to client-centered, efficient, and effective sexual and reproductive health care that can impact all people in all settings.
For many people, especially in low-income and middle-income countries, the time and cost associated with traveling to health facilities and the stigma encountered from providers at health facilities represent significant barriers to SRH. In addition, congested clinics staffed with overburdened health providers constrain the provision of quality SRH services, further discouraging health seeking behavior of those who could most benefit. In terms of contraception, high rates of discontinuation and insufficient availability of method choice limit individuals’ ability to optimize their own health and that of their family. Many promising approaches and technologies for delivering SRH products and services outside of health facilities (e.g. private sector pharmacies and drug shops, mHealth, community health workers, STI self-tests, to name a few) have been developed and tried, yet have been slow to widely scale.
This Research Topic will welcome Original Research, Reviews, and Opinion pieces that highlight experiences from research and programs aimed at expanding access to quality SRH services through harnessing innovative technologies and delivery platforms, specifically those accessed or used outside of health facilities. The aim of this Topic is to advance the field towards the identification and scale up of successful programs and modalities that increase access to client-centered, efficient, and effective sexual and reproductive health care that can impact all people in all settings.
Keywords: sexual and reproductive health services delivery; contraceptive technology; SRH innovation; community SRH delivery; mHealth; pharmacy based SRH products and services
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
