This country profile will first look at the current definitions of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and sexual and reproductive rights (SRR). It will then present a brief introduction to the SRH and SRR context of Sri Lanka prior to a detailed look at some of the national policy and legislative frameworks in place to address key areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights. It will also briefly present some key recommendations to address identified gaps and issues in ensuring universal access to SRR in Sri Lanka.
According to the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the right to reproductive health implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. Accordingly, men and women have the right to be informed and to have access to safe, effective, affordable
and acceptable methods of family planning of their choice and the right of access to appropriate health-care services that will enable women to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth. It also includes sexual health, the purpose of which is the enhancement of life and personal relations, and not merely counselling and care related to reproduction and sexually transmitted diseases (UNFPA, 1994). The range of rights that ensure SRR are similarly written out in international conventions and through national legislation and policies at a local level.
