Haz click aquí para leer este texto en español. When was the last time you erotically touched your body to pleasure yourself?    Months ago? Today? Was it the last time you were alone at home? Do you remember? Let's speak without shame or fear: masturbation is  gooooood. Some people do it to get off, others to sleep better, others to prepare the scene for more sexual activities with partners. The reason doesn’t matter, May is the month dedicated to Masturbation, so it is a good time to take a deeper dive into it.   The perfect touch  Masturbation is the erotic stimulation of our bodies, more specifically, the genitals. We can do it with our hands, pillows, sex-toys and many other ways. Our creativity is our limit. And we can do it alone or by allowing other people to do it for us. Through masturbation, we can learn about our body, what arouses us, what we like and what we don’t.   It is also a great way to feel sexual pleasure.  The purpose can vary. There are people who don't feel ready to have sex and there are times when we don't want to be with other people. It doesn’t matter. With or without a partner, the reason that makes us want to masturbate is that it can give us a lot of pleasure. Yes! It feels good.   We feel pleasure when we touch ourselves, when we find our own right movement and the level of pressure to fill our nervous system with the “happy hormones” – endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. That’s why masturbating is good not only at that moment, but also after the orgasm, helping us to lower the stress, to block pain, and to relax throughout the day. Moreover, allowing ourselves to achieve this level of pleasure is a firm sign that we are taking good care of our body and mind.       Reclaiming our power to pleasure ourselves  Picture this: you walk into your favourite coffee shop, straightforward to the counter and very sure of yourself and you order your preferred drink, whatever it is. You choose the beverage, the size, the syrup flavour, the sweetener, and temperature. You pay the bill and wait at the end of the counter. They call out your name and, finally, you take that first sip that you desired so much. What does it taste like? How does it feel?   There are few things that can compare to this feeling, the empowerment that comes with asking exactly for what you want--- and getting it.   In a coffee shop, in life, and in sexual practices, getting to the point where you know exactly what you want can be a little tricky, and sometimes it takes time. Masturbation is a journey to understand our sexual preferences and desires. Claiming our power to pleasure ourselves is about adding more possibilities rather than only experiencing it with others. It’s about developing the power of knowing what works best for us and being able to make it happen.  Let’s not forget that pleasure is also a political issue, which has to do with our right to our bodies. Hence, masturbation is too. Societies often feel geared towards norms and end up imposing impose shame, fear and misinformation about masturbation. In many countries and cultures our sexuality has been turned into a taboo. However, acts of self-enjoyment, like masturbation, can be a form of resistance against this system. By reclaiming our time and our bodies, and the use of both for our pure pleasure, we recover our right to decide about our lives.       An act of self-care  Self-care has been addressed in different ways over time. Recently, mostly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been used to refer to acts of self-enjoyment, hobbies, and new habits, such as adopting organic food, exercise practices, greater water intake, and encouraging a more positive and healthy way of living.  And YES, we’re here for it. This rise of the self-care movement has underpinned the importance of carrying out activities that centre our well-being.  Masturbation then, encompasses self-care very well.  Besides reducing the stress and improving sleep, it also boosts our immunity system, and it is linked to lower prostate cancer in people with penis and reduced risk of urinary infections in people with vulvas, while also improving cognitive functioning and self-image.  And let’s not forget: pleasure is also a vital aspect of our mental and physical well-being.   Along with masturbation, there’s other decisions and acts we can take to achieve our pleasure and self-care, such as making informed decisions on the contraceptive method that best suits our needs, planning on reproductive choices, on our career, and on leisure activities, as well as deciding on having abortions or continuing pregnancies when we’re faced with a positive pregnancy test.   Did you ever think about it?  Finishing off  Masturbation is an act of pleasure, but also a reminder that you are the expert: what feels right and what doesn’t is up to you. You have - literally- the power in your hands.  In bed, or in society, alone, in a group or with a partner, you will always be the one who knows what is the best for you. 😉 Happy Masturbation May! 

IPPF ACRO participates in the C20 Conception Meeting in Brazil. Kamilah Morain, Director of Member Association Support and Development at ACRO, participated in the inaugural meeting of the C20 Engagement Group in Recife, Brazil. This group plans and proposes policies for the upcoming G20 forum, which will take place in November 2024, focusing on issues such as health and education. As the co-facilitator of the Women's Rights and Gender Equality working group, she will, on behalf of IPPF ACRO, seek to ensure that the voices of women and girls are heard by the G20 leaders. This is crucial because the G20 represents a large portion of the global economy and trade.   Profamilia ready to host the Seventh International Conference on Family Planning in November 2025. For the first time in history, the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) will be held in Latin America, and Profamilia Colombia will be a co-host! Alongside the William H. Gates Sr. Institute for Reproductive Health and Population and the Government of Colombia and the Valle del Lili Foundation, Profamilia will welcome thousands of family planning professionals from November 3rd to 6th, 2025, in Colombia. The ICFP serves as a gathering point for governments, institutions, researchers, activists, and professionals seeking to promote collaboration and innovation in sexual and reproductive health. On this occasion, Colombia has been chosen as the venue due to the government's commitment and the efforts of social movements that have resulted in significant advances in access to sexual and reproductive health for Colombian people. See you there!   Gestos succeeds in canceling the HIV and other STI testing requirement in the city of Lagoa do Carro, Brazil. Thanks to a complaint from Gestos' legal team, and in collaboration with Caop Cidadania and the Public Ministry of Carpina, the municipal government of Lagoa do Carro canceled the requirement to undergo HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B and C testing in its contests. This significant victory for human rights and the advancement of sexual and reproductive health is a reminder that demanding STI test results is a discriminatory practice that violates human rights. Furthermore, in Brazil, the right to confidentiality is guaranteed by law. Congratulations to the Gestos team for their hard work in guaranteeing the rights of people living with HIV!   Kamala Harris visits a Planned Parenthood clinic and becomes the first Vice President of the United States to visit an abortion clinic. The sixth stop on Vice President Kamala Harris's "Fighting for Reproductive Freedom" Tour was a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic. It has been a great opportunity for the Vice President to see the great work that Planned Parenthood does every day to provide sexual and reproductive health care, including safe abortion. In the months leading up to the presidential elections, she has positioned herself as an advocate for access to abortion in a complicated context following the Supreme Court's recent decisions on this issue. "It is right and just that people have access to the health care they need," Kamala Harris said at a press conference.   If you want to receive SRHR news directly from the ground to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter "Rising the Tide". Subscribe

Say NO to female genital mutilation. Everywhere. According to UNICEF, around 200 million girls and women have been subjected to FGM , while many more remain unknown. It is time to join forces to say NO to this horrific practice. Let’s make sure all women and girls will be free from torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Revolutionizing CSE: Latin American and Caribbean Youth Leading the Charge!

Empowering Futures: Transforming Societies through Comprehensive Sexuality Education in Latin America and the Caribbean By Feminitt Caribbean and IPPF ACRO Co-authored by Valeria Marin (she/her), IPPF ACRO & Nyala Thompson Grunwald (she/her), Feminitt Caribbean Growing bodies of research and evidence commissioned by UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations have outlined the positive impacts of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in promoting healthy behaviors in interpersonal relationships, bodily autonomy, and respect for human life. Through CSE programming, adolescents and young people are provided with a safe and brave space to support their development and understanding of the world around them. The tools provided through CSE empower individuals’ decisions about their bodies, expression, and sexual health.  This is done through the exploration of concepts like ‘bodily autonomy’ which is the right to be informed and equipped with skills where you choose what you do with your body, how and with whom, among many other aspects without external force or influence. Developing the embodied cognitive skills to understand your body, and understand what feels good –– in every sense of pleasure –– is a lifelong exercise. It is an exercise that CSE is fundamental in providing a safe space for. CSE is best effective when it is age-appropriate and tailored to the needs of each age group. The earlier CSE learning starts, the more effective it can be. A Ministerial Declaration Preventing Through Education”, accessed through the UNESCO Comprehensive Sex Education Implementation Toolkit resource, states that, “comprehensive sexuality education starting in early childhood favors the gradual acquisition of information and knowledge necessary to develop the skills and attitudes needed for a full and healthy life as well as to reduce sexual and reproductive health risks.'' Although this is a necessary commitment made at the level of legislative and executive spheres of power,  the implementation of CSE learning cannot be on the terms and conditions of whatever political party is in power, nor to their terms and conditions, neither to the predominant discourse regarding sexuality and gender relationships, and identities in any given environment, and something about ‘preventing through education’ rankles of an incredibly harmful coding. Instead, implementing the CSE curriculum should be to fulfill the obligation to uphold the right to education, security, and good health and well-being as demonstrated throughout international standards of human rights. CSE is a central part of achieving Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” and its thematic indicator 4.7.2 which measures the progress of the goal by the “ Percentage of schools that provided life skills-based HIV and sexuality education within the previous academic year.”  Comprehensive Sexuality Education programs can be structured according to a helix shape –– imagine starting to make loops with your hand, except each time you are about to finish one loop, you move your hand slightly lower and start the next loop –– whereby the same key points of information are returned to during each year of schooling, only in a slightly different way: “CSE must start with foundational knowledge and skills at the primary level, and building scaffolded ways through secondary schools and beyond.” This is the recommendation made in a report conducted by Spotlight Initiative [this EU-UN organization launches informed campaigns with localized partners, working towards an end of gender-based violence, particularly against women and girls] – and in many other reports from experts around the world in the past decades. The point is valid, however it must account for cultural and spatial specificities, even logistical particularities in any given environment.With all that CSE encompasses, the CSE curriculum will be most effective when it is context specific.  This, the fluid potential for directing CSE through a certain bias, is why CSE is so incredibly important. CSE taught through a risk-based approach can reinforce gender stereotypes and harmful practices that can lead to the discrimination of queer communities perpetuating the cycle of gender-based violence. Unfortunately, forms of GBV are rampant from a scale of everyday micro-aggression to fatalities. CSE must be a part of an individual's education, simply because it can and will provide skills that could and will save lives. In recent years, Latin America and the Caribbean have witnessed a concerning surge in the influence of fundamentalist and right-wing movements, posing a formidable challenge to the promotion and implementation of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in the region. Opponents of CSE have strategically employed a range of tactics to undermine its progress, relying on fallacious arguments devoid of scientific support related to human sexuality. False accusations regarding the use of sexually explicit materials have been wielded as a means to discredit and delegitimize CSE programs. However, in response to the escalating challenges posed by fundamentalist and right-wing movements in Latin America and the Caribbean, feminist and activist networks and communities around the world are mobilizing to counter regressive arguments and ensure the destigmatization of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). By recognizing the importance of CSE as a fundamental human right activists are working tirelessly to debunk fallacious claims and provide evidence-based information about the positive impact of inclusive sexual education and actively challenge the false accusations and fear tactics employed by opponents.  Feminists and activists aim to create an environment where CSE is perceived as a crucial tool for empowerment, self-determination, and the promotion of healthy relationships. Through their efforts, they seek to break down societal barriers, destigmatize the discourse around sexual education, and advocate for the universal right to access quality CSE, emphasizing its role in fostering a society that respects and upholds human rights for all. IPPF ACRO and Feminitt Caribbean share this values and that is why we recommend governments to: Guarantee access to girls and children to schools, education is one of the main intervention for girls to make their own decisions. Every child must have access to education. Invest in adequate resourcing for schools to deliver teacher training to ensure that teachers are well-resourced and skilled to deliver rights-based CSE curriculum in an unbiased and non-judgmental way. Invest in adequate resourcing schools to deliver effective CSE. CSE should be fun, interactive, and age- appropriate. Some schools are not equipped with adequate classrooms and instructional material to deliver CSE programmes. When there is dedicated financing allotted to CSE programming, learners are able to participate in comfort. Invest in menstrual equity by way of subsidizing the cost of period products and implementing a Menstrual Equity Act to serve those who are in need of support. Period poverty including a lack of access to comprehensive menstrual health education act as barriers for learners to attend school. When menstruators have access to period products and menstrual health education, they are able to enjoy their right to education, safely. Amend education policies and other supporting legal frameworks to enable the delivery of CSE programming in schools 

Blog by Irma Ramos Executive Director of INPPARES featured in El Comercio Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) plays an essential role in the health and well-being of all people. Having CSE in schools will provide children and adolescents with an education based on the promotion, protection and exercise of their human rights. Despite the efforts and implementation of strategies by various state agencies, there is no significant decrease in adolescent pregnancy. During the two years of confinement, we have presented cases of sexual violence and forced unions, especially in adolescents who required counselling on their sexual and reproductive health. In 2020 alone, the most critical year of the pandemic in Peru, 1,158 adolescents under the age of 15 became mothers, according to INEI. The Demographic and Family Health Survey (Endes, 2021) reveals that, of the 8.9 per cent of pregnancies registered in women aged 15-19, only 33.6 per cent completed primary school. The same source indicates that 6.9 per cent of women aged 15-49 have suffered physical violence by their husband or partner in the last 12 months and, of this figure, 1.8 per cent admit to having been sexually abused by their partner. Furthermore, in 2021, 146 femicides and 123 attempted femicides were perpetrated, according to the Ombudsman's Office. This is why, if we empower women from a young age with education, support and access to services so that they can exercise their sexual and reproductive rights, we will advance in the construction of gender equality with a rights-based approach. The Comprehensive Sex Education Guidelines for Regular Basic Education (RVM-169-2021-MINEDU) were approved almost a year ago. From Inppares, we have promoted the first network of CSE advocate teachers at national level, in order to contribute through them to the empowerment of students, collaborating in their self-knowledge, self-care, relationships and sexuality; helping them to cope in a world where violence, gender-based inequalities, unplanned teenage pregnancies, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to pose serious risks to their health and wellbeing. As civil society, we regret that children and adolescents continue to be recurrent victims of various forms of violence. The experiences they go through are harrowing and in most cases are faced alone. It affects them physically, psychologically and socially and, for the most part, prevents them from fulfilling their dreams and life projects. With regard to the legal framework, we are lagging behind in comparison with other countries in the region. In Latin America, six countries have laws that promote Comprehensive Sexuality Education (Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Uruguay). Meanwhile, in our country, achieving a norm with the status of law seems to be getting further and further away with initiatives such as the recent bill 904-2021-CR, which seeks to allow certain groups of parents' associations to supervise educational texts and materials without having the technical and pedagogical requirements to carry out such an important task. It is due to this ungrateful reality that we advocate for gender equality, healthy relationships, healthy sexual behaviour and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections from a positive, scientific, educational perspective, promoting a culture of prevention and emphasising values such as respect, inclusion, non-discrimination, equality, empathy, responsibility and reciprocity. From civil society, we advocate politically and publicly in favour of CSE, through alliances and constant dialogue with stakeholders, authorities, organisations, journalists, teachers and adolescents and young people, with the aim of influencing public policies, promoting the sexual and reproductive well-being of people living in Peru, as well as the free exercise of their rights. Irma Ramos Executive Director of Inppares  

Candice Taylor, 18, joined the Jamaica Family Planning Association (JFPA) Youth Advocacy Movement (YAM) at age 15 after youth officer Fiona Francis introduced her to the group. Initially, Taylor saw YAM as the only place where she could learn about sexual and reproductive health and rights. Today, Taylor uses her knowledge and involvement with YAM to educate her peers about SRHR with hopes that they make more informed choices if they choose to engage in sex. “I’ve seen teenagers get pregnant and it’s based off them never knowing routes they could take to prevent pregnancies. I figured I could play a role by learning it for myself, applying it to myself as well as talk to those around me to somewhat enlighten them about SRHR. I just wanted to be able to learn for myself and pass on the knowledge,” she said. Taylor’s experience with YAM made her realize that  SRHR is not limited to sex, but also about being empowered to make positive changes towards their health and wellbeing. Taylor wanted to be a voice for others and contribute to positive change. “Seeing young girls divert to wanting more and because their parents were not able to provide, they turn to men. Also, I saw undue pressure being placed on girls to not have sex and that pressure, unfortunately, caused them to develop creative ways to go out and it so ends up that were left with an unwanted pregnancy. I was learning not only for myself, but to spread the word.  I learned I needed to immerse myself in order to be an effective advocate,” she said. Taylor has been to health fairs, spoken to her peers and adults about their sexual and reproductive health. The impact has been great. “In my circle, I’ve seen people become more aware and more careful. In my teaching, my friends are inspired to join so I am looking to recruit soon,” she said. Other positive elements of her involvement in YAM include the opportunities she has received which include holiday jobs and being part of official training courses on sexual and reproductive health and rights. However, she has faced challenges especially around a lack of contraceptive use among her peers. Putting the open-mindedness into action “You can only educate someone, but you can’t force them to do what you’re promoting. You will have different people asking and you explain to them and show them different ways to approach stuff and they will outright be like ‘OK, I am still going to do my thing. This is how I am used to my thing’. So, they accept the information, but are they practicing the information? People are open minded, but it’s just for them to put the open mindedness into action,” Taylor explained. In addition, Taylor said there are parents who are not open to discussing sexual and reproductive health with their children making it more challenging for young people to access contraception. She suggests that parents either be involved in the advocacy or interventions that target them be implemented. Taylor also expressed a desire to see more detailed classes around sexual and reproductive healthcare in schools. “Implement classes in school that are more detailed than what exists. The current lessons are basic and the most you’ll learn is the menstrual cycle. You’re learning enough to do your exam, not apply to real life. If this is in schools, the doctors and clinics may be more open to the reality that younger people are engaging in sex. To prevent unplanned pregnancies be more open,” Taylor said. She added: “YAM has good intentions. These good intentions are definitely beneficial to the target audience. With more empowerment in the initiative we can move forward and complete the goal on a larger scale.”  

IPPF collaborates with UNAIDS and The PACT to implement ACT!2030 (formerly ACT!2015), a youth-led social action initiative which engages young people in 12 countries with advocacy and accountability around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other SRHR agreements/frameworks. ACT!2030 was initiated in 2013 as a way to increase youth participation in the negotiations leading up to the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda, and for two years focused on establishing alliances of youth-led and youth-serving organisations in 12 countries across the world. The project is currently in Phase 4, which runs until the end of 2017, and aims to establish youth-led, data-driven accountability mechanisms to ensure youth engagement with the implementation of the SDGs and build an evidence base for advocacy. Ultimately, Phase 4 of ACT!2030 seeks to identify, assess and address key policy barriers to young people’s sexual and reproductive data by using existing data, supplemented by youth-collected data, to advocate and lobby for policy change. This phase involves four main activities: indicator advocacy (persuading decision makers to adopt youth-friendly SRHR and HIV indicators, including on things like comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and access to youth-friendly services, into national/global reporting mechanisms); evidence gathering (creating national databases on quality of and access to youth-friendly services and CSE); communications (transforming this data and evidence into communications pieces that can be used to advocacy and lobby at national and international level); and global exchange (facilitating global visibility to share advocacy and engagement learnings and increase youth-led accountability in global and regional processes). ACT!2030 is implemented by national alliances of youth organisations in 12 countries: Algeria, Bulgaria, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  

This programme addresses critical challenges faced by young women around sexual health and sexuality. It has produced a range of advocacy, education and informational materials to support research, awareness-raising, advocacy and service delivery.    Girls Decide is about the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women. Around the world, girls aged 10 to 19 account for 23% of all disease associated with pregnancy and childbirth. An estimated 2.5 million have unsafe abortions every year. Worldwide, young women account for 60% of the 5.5 million young people living with HIV and/or AIDS. Girls Decide has produced a range of advocacy, education and informational materials to support work to improve sexual health and rights for girls and young women. These include a series of films on sexual and reproductive health decisions faced by 6 young women in 6 different countries. The films won the prestigious International Video and Communications Award (IVCA). When girls and young women have access to critical lifesaving services and information, and when they are able to make meaningful choices about their life path, they are empowered. Their quality of life improves, as does the well-being of their families and the communities in which they live. Their collective ability to achieve internationally agreed development goals is strengthened. Almost all IPPF Member Associations provide services to young people and 1 in every 3 clients is a young person below the age of 25. All young women and girls are rights-holders and are entitled to sexual and reproductive rights. As a matter of principle, the IPPF Secretariat and Member Associations stand by girls by respecting and fulfilling their right to high quality services; they stand up for girls by supporting them in making their own decisions related to sexuality and pregnancy; they stand for sexual and reproductive rights by addressing the challenges faced by young women and girls at local, national and international levels.