Anthropogenic Environmental Change and Sexual and Reproductive Health in Southeast Asia: A Scoping Review

Max D LÓPEZ TOLEDANO, Sze Tung Lam , Wen Yu John Tan, Kyi Mar Wai , Natasha Howard 

While often neglected, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a significant dimension of the health implications of global anthropogenic environmental change, including climate change. However, literature on the topic is scarce and largely neglects low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and regions such as Southeast Asia. We thus aimed to synthesise the literature connecting anthropogenic environmental change and SRH in Southeast Asia.
 
We conducted a scoping review, searching 5 databases systematically, and inductively synthesized findings. We included 45 eligible sources of 2,764 screened, and generated 5 themes pertaining to pollution; nutrition; gender-based violence; changes in ways of life; and infectious diseases. Regional patterns of environmental change were presented as forces influencing SRH (e.g. fertility and pregnancy outcomes); increasing gendered vulnerabilities (e.g. in extreme-weather events); and potentially disrupting reproductive plans, attitudes, and access to services.
 
Region-specific factors such as the large-scale expansion of plantation agriculture, pollution due to agricultural and industrial developments, and heightened susceptibility to extreme-weather events given the tropical climate were associated with worsened SRH outcomes. This highlighted the need for further research, particularly of ethico-political considerations.