Sexuality and reproduction among young people in Latin America in the XXIst century: theory, methodology, and policyOver the past two decades, important advances have been made in expanding sexual rights and access to sexual and reproductive health for adolescents and young people1. At the same time, in recent years, we have witnessed a rise in conservatism in both national and global contexts, largely fueled by the advance of far-right governments2. This conservative movement has promoted initiatives aimed at undermining rights gained in recent decades, restricting and, at times, even preventing the development and implementation of policies in the field of sexual and reproductive rights. These setbacks - marked by a lack of commitment to reducing inequality and to democracy, which is essential for ensuring and expanding the right to comprehensive health care, from prevention to rehabilitation and the respect for diversity - have had significant impacts on young people’s health. This population continues to face barriers to accessing preventive supplies, and increasing HIV incidence rates3. Moreover, there has been a rise in cases of acquired, gestational, and congenital syphilis; complications related to unsafe/illegal abortion; intimate partner violence; and psychological distress.
The centrality of sexuality and reproduction within contemporary sociocultural and moral disputes in Latin America calls for a critical expansion of the concept of politics. Beyond institutional arenas, politics is expressed in everyday practices of resisting violence, nurturing bonds, reconfiguring affections, and sustaining solidarity networks both within local territories and across the expanded territoriality of digital platforms. Simultaneously, young people - through the distinctive markers of their generation - are reasserting themselves as pivotal cultural and political agents in the construction of democratic, inclusive, and socially just futures.
This thematic issue aims to broaden and update the empirical evidence essential for guiding public policies anchored in human rights, social justice, and the affirmation of life in all its diversity. It further seeks to advance our understanding of the digital generation - shaped by the experience of the COVID-19 crisis - that now bears the potential to forge futures founded on respect for sexual and gender diversity and on the struggle against racial, social, regional, and other intersecting inequalities.
The contributions, drawn from the social and human sciences, epidemiology, health policy, planning, and management, engage with diverse regional contexts in Brazil and across Latin America. Employing a range of theoretical and methodological approaches, the 23 articles investigate themes including new HIV prevention technologies, prenatal care, contraceptive methods, abortion, violence, social contexts, affective and sexual relations, access to sexual and comprehensive health services, sexual and reproductive rights, sexuality education, and methodological innovations in youth research.
We hope that the manuscripts will serve as a source of inspiration for new research and as a valuable resource for the evaluation of policies and programs implemented by governments and civil society organizations.
Acknowledgments
The publication of this thematic issue was supported by CNPq/MS-DCCI (process No. 442618/2019-0).
References
- 1 Luna JR. Juventudes en América Latina y el Caribe en perspectiva: panorama de la situación, desafíos e intervenciones promisorias. Cien Saude Colet 2021; 26(7):2565-2573.
- 2 Junqueira RD. A invenção da "ideologia de gênero": a emergência de um cenário político-discursivo e a elaboração de uma retórica reacionária antigênero. Rev Psicol Polit 2018; 18(43):449-502.
- 3 Knauth DR, Pilecco FB. Aids e prevenção do HIV entre adolescentes e jovens em seis municípios brasileiros. Saude Soc 2024; 33(1):e230789.
