What if reproductive health success was measured by joy, agency, and safety—not just risk reduction?
Two papers led by FCM Professor and Vice Chair for Research Christine Dehlendorf, MD, MAS make the case for shifting to sexual and reproductive well-being (SRWB) as the new gold standard—centered on human rights, reproductive justice, and lived experience.
Dr. Dehlendorf, director of the Person-Centered Reproductive Health Program, and colleagues argue for a shift “from measuring the avoidance of negative outcomes to measuring whether people have the sexual and reproductive lives they wish to have.”
The framework, developed through a multi-disciplinary and community-engaged process, outlines key domains of well-being and offers a roadmap to develop a simple, scalable measure that reflects what people value most in their SRH lives.
Read the papers:
- Advancing a Measure of Sexual and Reproductive Wellbeing Aligned with Core Values of Reproductive Justice and Human Rights - Christine Dehlendorf et al, AJPHA, May 2025
- What About Well-Being? Measuring What We Really Care About in Sexual and Reproductive Health - Christine Dehlendorf et al, Studies in Family Planning, June 2025
