The Cartagena Declaration

The Division of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Wellbeing, with its three Committees – the Committee on Contraception, Committee on Safe Abortion, and Committee on Reproductive Medicine, Endocrinology and Infertility – met at the FIGO 2022 Regional Congress held in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, on 5 November 2022.

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FIGO declares that access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is a basic and non-negotiable human right of every woman and girl in the world.

FIGO recognises that to fulfil their potential throughout the life course, a women must have access to modern methods of contraception (the choice to become pregnant when desired), safe abortion (the ability to decide whether to terminate a pregnancy) and fertility care (the ability to use artificial reproductive technology to achieve pregnancy).

In the pursuit of these rights, FIGO reiterates the following.

• The COVID-19 pandemic led to a marked setback in human rights around the world. Women were among those most affected by these setbacks. The defence of women’s SRHR is an inseparable part of the defence of human rights.
• All societies and federations of gynaecology and obstetrics should create and strengthen their committees related to sexual and reproductive rights.
• Around the world, medical doctors (including but not limited to obstetricians and gynaecologists, clinical leaders, academic specialists and other stakeholders) should promote

• activities that enrich the formative process and clarification of values. In turn, such activities strengthen the implementation of services that respond to the needs of women and support the promotion, protection and application of SRHR.
• The topics related to SRHR should be included in the curricula of medical student education and the training of gynaecology and obstetrics residents.2
• Working together with governmental authorities, societies and federations of gynaecology and obstetrics should draft and implement policies to ensure the existence of and access to all services and supplies that allow the protection and promotion of SRHR.
• Societies and federations should establish alliances with public and private institutions and local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that work towards the same goal, in order to maximise the effect of their actions.
• FIGO will source and support information for the dissemination of evidence-based information regarding women’s SRHR.

References

1. FLASOG. Declaration of Panama. 2022. https://flasog.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Declaracion-Panama-MGR-EGR-EIO-Ingles.pdf

2. FIGO, International Federation of Medical Students Associations, World Association of Trainees in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Joint statement of support for the inclusion of contraception and abortion in sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing education for all medical students. 2022. www.figo.org/resources/figo-statements/joint-statement-support-inclusion-contraception-abortion-srhr-education