From family planning and fertility care to STI prevention and maternal health, sexual and reproductive health isn't just a personal issue, but also a workforce issue. Access to sexual and reproductive health services directly shapes employees’ stability, productivity, and long-term career trajectories.

In a new article, “Sexual and Reproductive Health in the Workplace: What Employers Are Doing and Why It Matters,” Jenn Rogers, Senior Program Area Director and Senior Research Scholar at Child Trends, and Sarah Rauzin, Director of Health Strategy & Insights at the Health Action Alliance, examine why sexual and reproductive health belongs in the business conversation. Plus, they explore what employers are (and aren’t) doing about it.

Drawing on a recent survey conducted by Child Trends and the Health Action Alliance, the authors explore how benefits leaders across 25 U.S. employers are approaching sexual and reproductive health-related wellness offerings. The research found that 68% of leaders did not recognize that sexual and reproductive health challenges impact employee performance.

At the same time, companies are far more likely to prioritize STI prevention and related services when employees explicitly request them, suggesting that silence may be the real barrier. When sexual and reproductive health feels taboo at work, a lack of conversation is often misread as a lack of demand.

Employers that address stigma head-on and improve access to care are also strengthening workforce resilience and long-term business performance. Rogers and Rauzin offer practical, evidence-based steps companies can take now, to move from awareness to action and build a more stable, supported workforce.

More Free Resources From HAA

Check out our additional resources to help strengthen your sexual health benefits:

• Menopause in the Workplace Tools and Tip Sheets: These resources offer clear steps to help business leaders build a more menopause-friendly workplace.
• The Great Disrupters: Endometriosis and the Support Your Employees Need: One woman's experience illuminates the personal and business challenges of this painful condition — and how employers can provide support.
• Empowering HR Leaders: A Checklist for HIV in the Workplace: Key considerations to help benefits leaders strengthen HIV education, policies, and support at work.
• Join the U.S. Business Action to End HIV: Add your voice and leadership to our coalition of companies dedicated to ending the HIV epidemic in America.