World sexual health day 2025: Championing sexual justice for all

The global observance reminds us that sexual health is a human right, calling for safe, respectful and informed choices free from stigma and inequality

Sexual health is not just the absence of illness. It is about dignity, choice, and equality, and the freedom to live with confidence, free from fear or discrimination. Recognising this, World Sexual Health Day is observed every year on 4 September to encourage open dialogue and promote rights-based approaches to sexuality. The 2025 theme, ‘Sexual Justice: What Can We Do?’, invites individuals and institutions alike to take meaningful action.

 

Theme for 2025

 

The theme for this is ‘Sexual Justice: What Can We Do?’, with the spotlight on sexual justice- the ability to achieve sexual health, pleasure and rights for all people with discrimination, fear, shame and stigma.

 

 

Theme highlights four critical areas:

 

• Sexual rights – Advocating for dignity, pleasure and health for all, without shame.
• Reproductive rights – Upholding bodily autonomy and reproductive choice worldwide.
• LGBTQ+ adolescents – Protecting the rights and identities of young people across diverse gender and sexual identities.
• Access to information – Providing clear, accurate, and uncensored knowledge on sexuality and health.

Background of World Sexual Health Day

 

The observance of World Sexual Health Day was initiated in 2010 by the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) to foster global dialogue around sexuality, rights, justice and pleasure. The first theme - “Let’s talk about it!” set the tone by encouraging open conversations about topics long considered taboo. Since then, WSHD has grown into a worldwide event, through discussions, art exhibitions, school campaigns, theatre, music and media initiatives.

 

Goals of World Sexual Health Day

 

World Sexual Health Day 2025 is not only about awareness but also about action. Its goals reflect the urgent need to make sexual health a shared responsibility and global priority.

 

1. Promote education and dialogue so that everyone has access to accurate, evidence-based information and essential services.
2. Champion consent as fundamental to sexual rights, with governments, organisations, healthcare providers, advocates and the media all playing a key role.
3. Recognise sexual health as a global priority, beyond medical treatment, as part of human rights and well-being.
4. Celebrate and honour the right to pleasure, autonomy and respect, shifting the narrative away from stigma and silence.

   

Why it matters

 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), sexual health is about more than the absence of disease. It is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality, which requires respect, safety and freedom from coercion or discrimination. 

Yet the global burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remains high. WHO notes that more than 30 different bacteria, viruses and parasites are transmitted through sexual contact, with over 1 million curable STIs acquired every day among people aged 15–49. The majority of these cases are asymptomatic, meaning people may not even know they are infected.

 

The challenge is further highlighted by HIV. At the end of 2024, an estimated 40.8 million people worldwide were living with HIV. In India alone, the HIV Estimations 2023 report found that more than 2.5 million people are living with the virus. These figures underscore the urgent need for comprehensive education, accessible health services and strong rights-based policies to prevent and manage infections.

 

By linking sexual health to human rights, World Sexual Health Day reminds us that achieving equality and justice in this sphere benefits everyone. The 2025 theme underlines the urgent need to move from awareness to action, ensuring that sexual justice becomes a lived reality across the world. 

 

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