World Sexual Health Day 2026: Every Body

This blog marks World Sexual Health Day 2026 by bringing together a selection of Springer Nature research highlights and topical collections showcasing the importance of sexual health in public health settings and SDG3: Good Health and Well-being.
World Sexual Health Day 2026: Every Body
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Sexual health is an essential component of overall health and well-being. It intersects with many of the challenges and opportunities addressed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, while also connecting to efforts to reduce inequalities and improve access to healthcare worldwide. 4th September marks World Sexual Health Day, an annual awareness campaign led by the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS). 

This Year's Theme: Every Body

The 2026 theme, Every Body, emphasises that sexual health is lived and experienced through our bodies and shaped by the social, cultural, healthcare, and policy environments around us. The campaign calls attention to the importance of inclusion, equity, and recognition of diverse lived experiences in conversations about health and well-being.

As part of this year's World Sexual Health Day celebrations, we're highlighting research and resources that contribute to a more informed and inclusive understanding of health and well-being.


Featured Springer Nature Research

From fundamental research to applied studies, these articles showcase the latest evidence and perspectives related to sexual health and well-being.

Research Article Highlights


Featured Collections


Books Spotlight

For readers looking to explore the topic in greater depth, these recent and notable books offer valuable insights from researchers and practitioners.

Intersections of Sexual Health, Migration and Sexualised Violence

This book provides a unique, interdisciplinary and rights-based perspective on sexual and reproductive health, sexualised violence and gender-based violence (GBV) among refugees, displaced persons and other migrants.

Learn more → https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-20707-4 

Abortion and Contraception in Modern Greece, 1830-1967

The book examines the history of abortion and contraception in Modern Greece from the time of its creation in the 1830s to 1967, soon after the Pill became available.

Learn more → https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-41490-0 


Community Perspectives

Dr Julie Franks' Time to Rethink Sexual Health in a Changing Global Landscape explores why now is the time to rethink approaches to sexual health and highlights the opportunities for innovation, equity, and evidence-informed action in a rapidly changing world.

Prof Ismaël Maatouk's Every Body, But Not Every System: Where Sexual Health Infrastructure Is Failing explores the gap between the inclusive vision of the "Every Body" theme and the reality of sexual health systems worldwide. It argues that underfunding, fragmented services, limited access to diagnostics, and persistent stigma continue to prevent many people from receiving adequate care, and calls for greater investment, integration, and political commitment to improve sexual health outcomes and achieve SDG 3 targets. 


Continuing the Conversation

World Sexual Health Day reminds us that health and well-being are shaped by a combination of scientific evidence, healthcare access, education, policy, and lived experience. By supporting inclusive research and evidence-based dialogue, we can help advance understanding and contribute to healthier outcomes for communities around the world.

Explore the resources featured above and join the conversation using #WorldSexualHealthDay and#WSHD2026 on social media.

Follow the Topic

Public Health
Life Sciences > Health Sciences > Public Health
Sexuality Studies
Humanities and Social Sciences > Society > Gender Studies > Sexuality Studies
Sexual Medicine
Life Sciences > Health Sciences > Clinical Medicine > Reproductive Medicine > Sexual Medicine
Sexuality Studies
Humanities and Social Sciences > Cultural Studies > Cultural Theory > Gender Studies > Sexuality Studies

Related Collections

With Collections, you can get published faster and increase your visibility.

Monitoring, preventing, and managing type 2 diabetes

BMC Public Health is calling for submissions to our Collection on Monitoring, preventing, and managing diabetes at the population level. With rates of type 2 diabetes rising globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries and underserved communities, prevention strategies are critical. As the disease progresses people with diabetes are at increased risk of complications such as cardiovascular and kidney diseases, neuropathy and visual loss.

This Collection seeks submissions that explore population-level approaches to monitoring rates of diabetes, preventing or delaying the development of type 2 diabetes, and system-wide efforts to improve the management of the disease and reduce rates of complications, with a focus on improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare burdens.

Submissions are encouraged on primary prevention initiatives and culturally adapted, community-level interventions to reduce the risk of diabetes. Research aimed at improving systems for monitoring rates of diabetes and its complications through routinely-collected health data, or for improving management by enhancing patient engagement with healthcare systems or better identifying those in need, are encouraged. Research on diabetes education and support systems is also welcomed, with a focus on empowering individuals to adopt and sustain healthier lifestyles and avoid known causes of diabetes.

Additional topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

Access to healthcare and diabetes management

The impact of food insecurity on diabetes outcomes

Community-based interventions for low-income populations

Interventions to reduce exposure to environmental causes of diabetes

Financial barriers to diabetes medication and treatment

Housing instability, employment status and type 2 diabetes

Health literacy, poverty, and diabetes management

Policies to reduce poverty-related health disparities in diabetes

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

Publishing Model: Open Access

Deadline: Oct 16, 2026

Digital exclusion and health equity

Digital exclusion poses significant barriers to health equity, particularly in the context of an increasingly technology-driven healthcare landscape. Many individuals, especially from underserved communities face challenges in accessing digital health resources, including telehealth services, electronic health records, and health information online, alongside challenges from other social determinants of health. This Collection seeks to explore the intersection of digital health access and health equity, focusing on the disparities that arise from unequal access to digital tools and resources.

Addressing digital health exclusion is critical for promoting health equity and ensuring that all individuals can benefit from advancements in digital health. Recent strides in telehealth and digital health interventions have demonstrated the potential for technology to improve access to care, yet they also reveal significant disparities that must be acknowledged. By understanding the factors that contribute to eHealth disparities, we can develop targeted digital inclusion strategies that address the unique needs of diverse populations, ultimately fostering a more equitable health system.

Topics for submission include but are not limited to:

  • Equitable digital health systems: policy, infrastructure, and community engagement
  • Digital health access among underserved communities
  • Digital literacy and health outcomes across diverse populations
  • Innovations and implementation strategies for bridging digital health gaps in underserved communities
  • Measuring and monitoring digital health disparities: metrics and methodologies

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well Being) and SDG 10: (Reduced Inequalities).

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer-review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

Publishing Model: Open Access

Deadline: Dec 11, 2026