The Higher Population Council and ShareNet Jordan have launched fact sheets addressing topics related to sexual and reproductive health during a meeting held yesterday, Sunday, with representatives from relevant national entities.

The fact sheets, prepared by the Higher Population Council and ShareNet Jordan in collaboration with experts from the Ministry of Health, Royal Medical Services, and the Safaed Center for Community Empowerment, covered the topics of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS in Jordan.

Dr. Issa Al-Massarwa, Secretary-General of the Higher Population Council, emphasized that the fact sheets were produced in line with the council's and ShareNet Jordan's commitment to providing information and fostering a supportive environment to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights. This initiative aligns with Jordan's commitment to achieving the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) by 2030, which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages, and is consistent with the objectives of the National Strategy for Sexual and Reproductive Health 2020-2030.

Al-Massarwa highlighted that the Higher Population Council's approach to addressing demographic and sexual and reproductive health issues involves fostering partnerships with government and non-governmental organizations. This approach aims to create a policy and program environment that supports protective factors and reduces risks for individuals in society.

During the meeting, Dr. Majdoleen Al-Zghoul, a preventive medicine and infectious diseases physician at the Royal Medical Services, presented the fact sheet on sexually transmitted infections. Ghalib Al-Aza, a senior researcher at the Higher Population Council, presented the fact sheet on HIV/AIDS in Jordan. Both fact sheets aim to provide scientific evidence to support policies and programs focused on preventing the transmission of STIs and HIV and reducing health risks for affected individuals. This aligns with the goals of the National Population Strategy and the National Strategy for Sexual and Reproductive Health, which seek to ensure universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and information. These efforts contribute to the well-being of families and individuals at all stages of life and support the achievement of SDG 3, specifically target 3.3, which calls for an end to the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases, and combatting hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases by 2030.

On the sidelines of the meeting, a position paper titled "Reducing Hysterectomies in Girls with Intellectual Disabilities" was presented by Hanin Al-Karmi. The paper was prepared by the "Lahun" campaign as part of the "Masaruna" project, an initiative by the Darbezin Center for Human Development, supported by Oxfam.