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Led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN’s Special Programme in Human Reproduction (HRP), the day underscores the importance of sexual health across all stages of life. Sexual health goes beyond physical safety; it embraces dignity, consent, pleasure, and freedom from coercion and discrimination.

This year’s theme, “Sexual Justice – What Can We Do?”, calls on us to recognize sexual health as a cornerstone of well-being. It emphasizes the need for equitable, rights-based solutions that ensure justice and access for everyone, everywhere.

Sexual justice means that all people have the power and resources to make free, informed, and healthy decisions about their bodies, sexuality, and reproduction. It ensures equal access to education, healthcare, and services, while promoting a world free from discrimination, violence, and exclusion, where everyone can experience sexual health, rights, and pleasure.

For seafarers, the maritime profession presents unique challenges in maintaining sexual health, due to prolonged time away from family and limited shore leave. Recognizing the importance of sexual well-being at sea is essential for fostering healthy mental, emotional, and physical states among crews.

The growing conversation around sexual health

Over the past decade, there has been an expanded cultural conversation around sexuality, improvements in sexual education, and growing awareness of the sexual-health challenges which has led to a surge in demand for sexual-health products.

According to McKinsey, research shows that 87% of U.S. consumers reported spending the same or more on sexual-health products in the past year, reflecting the recognition of sexual health as a vital aspect of personal well-being. Affirmative sexual health encourages positive, safe, and consensual sexual experiences, contributing to emotional and social well-being.

Research insights

In March 2025, HRP researchers conducted a systematic review of HIV public communication campaigns using a pleasure-based approach. The study, analyzing 29 campaigns across multiple regions, found that integrating pleasure – through enjoyment, empowerment, and emotional connection – reduces stigma, improves knowledge, and encourages safer behaviors like condom use and HIV testing.

Similarly, in December 2024, WHO published a special issue in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization on advancing sexual health and rights. It covered topics ranging from sexual empowerment and harmful gender norms to menstrual hygiene, endometriosis, and HIV prevention. The publication highlighted the need for inclusive, people-centered interventions to achieve global health equity.

WHO also released global research priorities for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), identifying 40 key research areas to improve prevention, diagnosis, management, and epidemiology.

HRP and WHO are advancing sexual health measurement using tools like the Sexual Health Assessment of Practices and Experiences (SHAPE) questionnaire, enabling countries to generate comparable data for better monitoring and intervention.

Key considerations about sexual health

Maintaining sexual health at sea, or anywhere, requires attention to the following:

#1 Secured consent

Consent is essential for any sexual activity. Both partners must explicitly agree to the activity, with the ability to withdraw at any time. Key considerations include:

• Consent is required for every sexual act; past consent does not guarantee future consent.
• Consent applies to long-term partners and casual encounters alike.
• Silence does not imply agreement.
• Alcohol or drug use can compromise a person’s ability to consent. 

2. Preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections

STIs, including HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis B, are transmitted primarily through unprotected sexual contact. Effective treatment is currently available for several STIs. If left untreated, they can cause infertility, cancer, or even death. Symptoms may be absent, so regular testing is critical.

Sexual health challenges in maritime work

Seafaring is a profession marked by long separations, isolation, and restricted access to shore facilities. Prolonged sexual abstinence, when involuntary, can impact on psychological health, job satisfaction, and overall well-being.

Research indicates that lack of sexual activity in isolated settings can lead to:

• Emotional distress, depression, and irritability
• Increased risk-taking behaviors during port visits
• Heightened sexual frustration and potential aggression 

Mental health support onboard often focuses on fatigue and stress, while the emotional impact of sexual frustration remains largely unaddressed. Tackling these challenges requires open dialogue, access to counselling, and the normalization of conversations about sexual well-being among seafarers.

In this context, OneCare Group announced in June its commitment to reducing stigma and promoting sexual health awareness by providing tailored training for its seafarers. The programmes, delivered both online and in person, cover key areas such as STIs, safe sex practices, and common misconceptions about sexual health.

Sexual harassment onboard

Women working at sea face additional risks, including sexual harassment and assault. Studies by the Seafarers International Research Centre (SIRC) and Seafarers’ Charity found that female seafarers experience higher isolation and fear of reporting incidents.

Similarly, surveys by the Norwegian Seafarers’ Union (NSU) indicate that 31% of members reported experiencing sexual harassment, with women, younger crew, and new recruits disproportionately affected. It is also important to note that male seafarers can be victims as well.

Therefore, zero-tolerance approach to harassment, combined with awareness campaigns and clear reporting protocols, is essential for a safe and equitable maritime workplace.

Promoting sexual health awareness at sea

Several organizations, including OneCare Group and Marine Medical Solutions (MMS), are actively addressing sexual health in the maritime sector. Their initiatives include:

• Online and in-person sexual health training for crew members
• Education on STIs, safe sex practices, and contraception
• Support for gender- and sexuality-specific needs, including LGBTQ+ seafarers
• Encouraging peer-to-peer dialogue to reduce stigma and foster emotional support

Experts stress that open communication, access to medical care, and psychological support are key to mitigating the mental and physical impacts of prolonged sexual abstinence and sexual frustration among seafarers.

Sexual health is an essential part of overall well-being. As WHO reminds us, health is more than the absence of disease – it is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.  

Sudan’s Darfur region is grappling with a deadly cholera outbreak amid a complex humanitarian crisis marked by heavy rains, mass displacement, fragile water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, along with limited access to healthcare.

New figures from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) show that all five Darfur states have reported high cases, with North Darfur accounting for 57% of all cases. Yet South Darfur bears the heaviest death burden – 66 out of 136 deaths recorded in the region so far in 2025.

In all, cholera has been reported across all 18 states in Sudan, with children over the age of 10 accounting for 15% of infections. Khartoum State alone has recorded 24,252 cases and 427 deaths in 2025.

Darfur is particularly vulnerable due to restricted access, ongoing conflict and the possibility of significant under-reporting. Displacement has increased the risk of cross-border transmission, with Chad already reporting cases in refugee settlements near the border with Sudan.

 The crisis in Sudan is part of a broader regional emergency, with cholera surging across the continent and exposing deep weaknesses in public health systems. The country is one of 23 African nations currently facing cholera outbreaks, and among the worst affected alongside South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Angola.

In response, African leaders have launched the Continental Cholera Preparedness and Response Plan 1.0, spearheaded by Africa CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO), and championed by Zambian President H.E. Hakainde Hichilema. The six-month plan requires over $231 million in funding, with additional resources needed for long-term vaccine production and health system strengthening.

Yet the plan goes beyond coordination and resource mobilisation, showing how strong political leadership can bring multiple sectors together to address urgent public health challenges. It builds on the successful mpox response model, leveraging the Incident Management Support Team (IMST) to coordinate efforts across countries.

“The elimination of cholera is not only a health goal — it is a moral imperative, a catalyst for economic growth, and a decisive step toward achieving Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want,” said President Hichilema.

The IMST’s “4-One” principle — one team, one plan, one budget, one monitoring framework — ensures strategic coherence and operational efficiency. Cholera specialists will guide technical implementation, while a Continental Task Force will oversee progress toward the 2030 goal of eliminating cholera in over 20 countries, reducing deaths by 90%, and keeping fatality rates below 1%.

Without urgent action, Africa could see over 200,000 cholera cases and 6,000 deaths between September 2025 and February 2026. However, rapid interventions —including the deployment of 10 million vaccine doses, the establishment of treatment centres, and robust community engagement — could dramatically reduce the toll.

“Cholera is not just a health emergency — it is a reflection of deeper systemic inequalities,” said Africa CDC Director General Dr Jean Kaseya. “Our response must be swift, coordinated and rooted in solidarity. We cannot afford to let vulnerable communities bear the brunt of preventable disease.”

Back in Sudan, inadequate WASH infrastructure is a significant contributor to the outbreak. Ninety per cent of Khartoum’s water treatment plants are currently out of service. This has severely limited access to clean water and increased the risk of disease transmission. Compounding the situation, Sudan is also battling concurrent outbreaks of dengue fever, diphtheria, measles, and pertussis.

Flooding on 17 August displaced nearly 900 people in North Darfur, compounding the already dire conditions. Ongoing conflict has made parts of the region inaccessible, with shortages of medical supplies, clean water, and isolation centres complicating containment efforts.

Access to vaccines remains uneven across Sudan, with some regions facing severe challenges. In Darfur, oral cholera vaccine coverage is virtually non-existent, compared to a national average of just 5.4%. This gap is mainly due to ongoing civil conflict, which has made large parts of the region inaccessible to vaccination teams. As a result, displaced populations — many living in overcrowded camps — are especially vulnerable to cholera outbreaks.

Thus, the true extent of the outbreak may be obscured by the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Under-reporting, limited healthcare access, and delays in data collection continue to hinder a full understanding of the situation.

While the decline in new cases in the affected African countries offers a glimmer of hope, the overall situation underscores the extreme vulnerability of communities in conflict-affected regions like Darfur. The cholera outbreak is a stark reminder of the broader challenges African countries face in managing preventable diseases under strained conditions.

Health authorities stress the urgent need for increased support to improve water and sanitation facilities, expand access to treatment, and implement vaccination campaigns in affected areas.

The Continental Cholera Preparedness and Response Plan offers a practical and coordinated framework to support national efforts. But its success will depend on timely implementation, sustained funding and the ability to adapt to complex, on-the-ground realities.

Sudan’s ongoing crisis highlights the urgency of these efforts.

“This cholera crisis is not just a public health emergency but is also a powerful reminder and a call to our leaders that there is no health without peace,” said Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC.