Religion and Sexual Wellbeing: Pleasure, Piety, and Reproductive Rights

Explore how religion, culture, and politics intersect with women’s sexual wellbeing.

Examine the role of religion in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)

Reproductive rights are at the forefront of many of today’s most heated political and ideological battles. Understanding the relationship between religion, gender, and sexual wellbeing is crucial to understanding the world today.

On this course, you’ll reflect on sexuality as a private and public affair, exploring people’s lived experiences around sexuality, intimacy and pregnancy.

Examine the role of religion in sexual wellbeing

You’ll explore the difference between religion as a lived experience, and religion as prescribed by religious authorities in relation to sexual activity and health.

You’ll examine how sexuality can be the cause of ideological debate as much as a source of enrichment, and explore the dynamics of the current polarisation around reproductive rights in relation to local, national and global histories.

Explore sexual wellbeing alongside experts

Using real-world case studies from the Philippines, Zimbabwe, and the Netherlands you’ll reflect upon how people become sexually knowledgeable, and how we can combat gendered forms of violence.

You’ll come away able to investigate the consequences of cultural polarisation around reproductive rights, and to reflect on how to supports people’s sexual wellbeing and health.

Find out more about Religion and Sexual Wellbeing on the FutureLearn website.