Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights including HIV and AIDS (SCORA)

History of the
Committee

The Standing Committee on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights including HIV and AIDS was formed in 1992, driven by a strong will to take an active part in interventions concerning HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and to support people living with HIV/AIDS through working to decrease stigma and discrimination. It constitutes one out of the six Standing Committees of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Association which serve as the Body of all Medical Students worldwide. SCORA with a large number of members-SCORAngels as they are called, have grown wide in its work, centered around five focus areas strongly related to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

In 2014, the name of SCORA changed from Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including AIDS to Standing Committee on Sexual and Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS as it is adequate in terms of topics and problems that SCORA is targeting in its actions. In 2019, the full name of SCORA was changed to Standing Committee on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights including HIV and AIDS, to better reflect the work developed by the Committee and distinguish the differences between HIV and AIDS.

Vision

A world where every individual is empowered to exercise their sexual and reproductive health rights equally, free from stigma and discrimination.

Mission

To provide our members with the tools necessary to advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights within their respective communities in a culturally respected fashion. This has been accomplished through building the skills and the knowledge about, providing trainings on Comprehensive Sexuality Education other respective reproductive health issues, exchanging ideas and projects, as well as drafting policies and working with our external partners in order to create change in local, regional and international level.

Objectives

To raise awareness on topics related to HIV and AIDS and sexual and reproductive health.

To decrease the stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV and AIDS.

To raise awareness and increase knowledge about facts, scientific research, global agreements and documents concerning sexual and reproductive health.

Promote positive sexuality and healthy sexual life.

Advocating for policies concerning sexual and reproductive health and represent medical student worldwide

Collaborate and facilitate joint actions concerning medical education, public health, and human rights.

Provide tools for capacity building for future healthcare professionals in terms of sexual and reproductive health and rights

Main Topics

Comprehensive Sexuality Education

SCORA is highly committed to raise awareness about sexual and reproductive health through education. We have immense experience in training new peer educators through International Peer Education Trainings and Advanced Peer Education Trainings. This has subsequently led to a network of peer educators who are actively working to organize events at local, national, regional and international level.

Maternal Health and access to safe abortion

Our aim is to raise awareness among our members about maternal and newborn health issues including topics like obstetric violence, family planning, access to antenatal care and ending stigma and discrimination towards abortion collaborating with our external partners like Ipas to train medical students as advocates for access to safe abortion.

Sexuality and gender identity

IFMSA promotes positive sexuality and is one of the first youth organizations officially committed, by accepting Policy Statement, to end stigma and discrimination in access to healthcare of LGBT+ individuals.

Gender-Based Violence

SCORAngels are committed to fight against violence (physical, mental or social) including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), sexual harassment and domestic violence. We are cooperating with the Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace (SCORP) on actions to end human trafficking conducting sessions during our regional and international meetings.

HIV and other STIs

IFMSA is the part of The PACT which is a coalition of youth organizations to end the AIDS epidemic in the Post-2015 Agenda. We are collaborating with Y+, The Global Network of Young People Living with HIV and AIDS to conduct together campaigns for the most important SCORA International Days.

Examples of recent achievements

Collaboration with UNAIDS

Our collaboration with UNAIDS is mainly in the field of discrimination and stigma in healthcare, working jointly in their agenda on this topic. For the term 2017-2018, we’ve been awarded a grant that allowed us to enhance our work in the Zero Discrimination Agenda, developing a set of resources and providing support to multiple country-based initiatives and research projects.

Collaboration with Ipas

IFMSA has been collaborated successfully with Ipas in conducting workshops in all regions of IFMSA on access to safe abortion. Both have also worked together in the production of a training manual for health students and professionals in this field of work.

International Peer Education Trainings

For many years now, SCORA has overviewed the organization of International Peer Education Trainings (IPET), trainings that target medical students who would like to develop their skills as peer educators especially having in mind international cooperation for Comprehensive Sexuality Education.

Online campaigns

SCORA has helped organize online campaigns for IFMSA to celebrate important international days, such as the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) and International Day of Pink campaign.

Change of the name

In August Meeting 2014, SCORA updated its name from “Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS” to “Sexual and Reproductive Health including HIV/AIDS” to better reflect the vision and mission of the standing committee. In 2019, the name has been updated to include “Rights” and differentiate “HIV and AIDS”. Its current full name is “Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights including HIV and AIDS”.