World Sexual Health Day 2025: A Call for Sexual Justice

On September 4, 2025, the global community observes World Sexual Health Day 2025 (WSHD2025), an annual initiative launched in 2010 by the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS). WSHD is dedicated to promoting sexual health rights, well-being, and inclusion while challenging social and cultural taboos surrounding sexuality. The event encourages positive, inclusive, and respectful attitudes toward sexual health and relationships.

The 2025 theme, "Sexual Justice: What Can We Do?", verified by WAS, calls for actionable steps toward equity, autonomy, and inclusion in sexual health and rights. Sexual justice ensures all individuals have the resources and freedom to make informed, healthy decisions about their bodies and sexuality, with equitable access to sexual health services, education, and care.

The theme highlights four key areas:

• Sexual Rights: Promoting universal access to sexual health, pleasure, and freedom from discrimination, stigma, or fear through inclusive policies.

• Sexual and Reproductive Rights: Safeguarding bodily autonomy and reproductive choices for all individuals, regardless of geographic or social barriers.

• LGBTQ+ Adolescents: Upholding the rights, dignity, and identities of LGBTQ+ individuals, with a focus on supporting trans, non-binary, gay, and lesbian youth.

• Access to Information: Ensuring access to accurate, evidence-based, and uncensored information about sexuality and health.

The focus on sexual justice emphasizes the vital role of legal frameworks in protecting sexual health rights. Strong legal systems are essential for ensuring equitable access to resources and safeguarding individual autonomy.

A legal expert, Subeesh Hrishikesh, Advocate High Court of Kerala underscores this, stating, "As a lawyer, I believe sexual justice is fundamentally about ensuring equitable access to rights, protections, and resources for all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances."

Subeesh Hrishikesh further explained, "This means advocating for robust legal frameworks that address sexual violence, uphold consent, and protect marginalized communities from discrimination. By strengthening laws and policies around sexual health and rights, we can empower individuals to live with dignity and autonomy."

Reports indicate that many global legal systems are outdated or discriminatory, often lacking adequate protections for sexual and reproductive health rights. The legal community is tasked with modernizing these frameworks to guarantee access to comprehensive sexual health education, protect healthcare confidentiality, and enforce measures against sexual violence and harassment.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), sexual health is a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being related to sexuality, extending beyond disease prevention to include positive and respectful approaches to sexual relationships. As a cornerstone of public health and human rights, sexual health is critical for:

• Preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs): Providing evidence-based information on safe practices and regular testing.

• Promoting Consensual Relationships: Educating individuals on consent, communication, and respectful boundaries.

• Combating Sexual Violence: Empowering individuals to recognize and report abuse while fostering a culture of safety.

• Supporting Reproductive Health: Addressing family planning, contraception, and maternal health to enable informed choices.

World Sexual Health Day 2025, observed on September 4, serves as a global call for healthcare professionals, policymakers, educators, and communities to collaborate on advancing sexual justice.

As another legal expert, Adv. Sunita Sharma, an accomplished advocate with over 5 years of experience in the legal field notes, "In the context of World Sexual Health Day 2025, which typically focuses on inclusion, equity, and breaking taboos around sexuality, sexual justice can be defined as a commitment to creating fair, inclusive, and empowering systems that respect and uphold every individual’s rights to sexual health, bodily autonomy, informed choice, and freedom from oppression in all aspects of sexual and reproductive life."

This aligns with WAS’s verified mission to drive collective efforts toward a world where global sexual health awareness and equity in sexual health are accessible to all.

Note: The views expressed by the legal professionals are limited to the legal perspective on this matter.

Join the global movement on September 4, 2025, to advocate for sexual justice, sexual rights, and reproductive health equity—building a healthier, more inclusive world.

_MSM