Human rights as a framework for eliminating female genital schistosomiasis.

Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) affects tens of millions of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa, yet this inequitable threat is often overlooked by advocates in both the neglected tropical disease (NTD) and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) communities. FGS causes both acute in...

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Main Authors: Caitlin R Williams, Maximillian Seunik, Benjamin Mason Meier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2022-03-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0010165&type=printable
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author Caitlin R Williams
Maximillian Seunik
Benjamin Mason Meier
author_facet Caitlin R Williams
Maximillian Seunik
Benjamin Mason Meier
author_sort Caitlin R Williams
collection DOAJ
description Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) affects tens of millions of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa, yet this inequitable threat is often overlooked by advocates in both the neglected tropical disease (NTD) and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) communities. FGS causes both acute infection and long-term sexual and reproductive health harm to marginalized women and girls, with gender, poverty, and rurality combining to invisibilize the disease. Human rights and gender imperatives can help to galvanize efforts to control and eliminate FGS, as they have for other NTDs. Specifically, international human rights obligations can frame state efforts to address FGS across healthcare settings, upstream social determinants of health, scientific research, and policy implementation. This article analyzes human rights-based approaches to FGS control and elimination efforts, outlining several areas for forward-looking reforms to health policy, programing, and practice. Building from the lessons learned in applying human rights-based approaches to advance progress on other NTDs, this analysis seeks to provide the NTD community with shared understanding around international legal obligations to engage SRHR advocates and draw heightened attention to FGS. Such human rights-based approaches to FGS control and elimination can help to reduce stigma and improve care for the millions of women and girls currently affected by this preventable disease.
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spelling doaj-art-df397cb570fa45eba76c981cf10cbf9c2025-08-20T03:15:48ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352022-03-01163e001016510.1371/journal.pntd.0010165Human rights as a framework for eliminating female genital schistosomiasis.Caitlin R WilliamsMaximillian SeunikBenjamin Mason MeierFemale genital schistosomiasis (FGS) affects tens of millions of women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa, yet this inequitable threat is often overlooked by advocates in both the neglected tropical disease (NTD) and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) communities. FGS causes both acute infection and long-term sexual and reproductive health harm to marginalized women and girls, with gender, poverty, and rurality combining to invisibilize the disease. Human rights and gender imperatives can help to galvanize efforts to control and eliminate FGS, as they have for other NTDs. Specifically, international human rights obligations can frame state efforts to address FGS across healthcare settings, upstream social determinants of health, scientific research, and policy implementation. This article analyzes human rights-based approaches to FGS control and elimination efforts, outlining several areas for forward-looking reforms to health policy, programing, and practice. Building from the lessons learned in applying human rights-based approaches to advance progress on other NTDs, this analysis seeks to provide the NTD community with shared understanding around international legal obligations to engage SRHR advocates and draw heightened attention to FGS. Such human rights-based approaches to FGS control and elimination can help to reduce stigma and improve care for the millions of women and girls currently affected by this preventable disease.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0010165&type=printable
spellingShingle Caitlin R Williams
Maximillian Seunik
Benjamin Mason Meier
Human rights as a framework for eliminating female genital schistosomiasis.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Human rights as a framework for eliminating female genital schistosomiasis.
title_full Human rights as a framework for eliminating female genital schistosomiasis.
title_fullStr Human rights as a framework for eliminating female genital schistosomiasis.
title_full_unstemmed Human rights as a framework for eliminating female genital schistosomiasis.
title_short Human rights as a framework for eliminating female genital schistosomiasis.
title_sort human rights as a framework for eliminating female genital schistosomiasis
url https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0010165&type=printable
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