Introduction

A comprehensive approach to sexual and reproductive health and rights is critical to ensuring sexual and reproductive well-being and bodily autonomy. The full continuum of care must be accessible across a life cycle. Sexual and reproductive health includes not only prevention and treatment of disease, but promotion of healthy and satisfying sexuality and reproduction. This means going beyond contraception, abortion, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections including HIV, to inclusion of sexual health, assisted reproductive care, and recognition of the range of gender expression.

A new International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) strategy 2023–2028 is being developed to guide the collective work of IPPF and its Member Associations. It prioritizes person-centred care and recommends investments in self-care and new healthcare delivery models that are adapted to clients’ needs in different circumstances and contexts, especially reaching those who are excluded and marginalized.

It feels like the perfect time to launch these Client-Centred Clinical Guidelines. They equip healthcare staff with recommendations for clinical management, including treatment and prevention, based on sound scientific evidence.

With its global network of over 40,000 healthcare delivery points and its strong advocacy voice, IPPF is in a unique position to bring together evidence in support of sexual and reproductive health and rights. Regardless, I know that revising clinical guidelines is an enormous project, which includes identifying key questions and topics, evidence retrieval and synthesis, appraisal of evidence quality and existing recommendations from international bodies (such as the World Health Organization), and assessing relevance to the settings in which we work. Thank you to everyone involved.

My biggest thanks, however, go to you – the healthcare worker or program manager about to read these guidelines – because through your daily work, you are directly contributing to building a world where people, in all their diversity, are free to make choices about their sexuality and well-being. Thank you.

Dr Alvaro Bermejo
Director‑General, IPPF

Client-Centred Clinical Guidelines: for Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare

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