Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Under Threat, Experts Warn

Medical experts warn that a proposed merger of UN Women and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) could significantly weaken global commitments to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The concern was raised during the 81st UN General Assembly session, with specialists publishing a special collection in The BMJ highlighting potential risks to gender equality protections. This institutional restructuring could undermine decades of progress in women's health advocacy and access to reproductive healthcare services. For patients, particularly in resource-limited settings like Puerto Rico, such policy changes may impact availability and quality of sexual health services, family planning resources, and gender-based violence prevention programs.