Reproduction and the Environment in Southeast Asia: A Scoping Review of Anthropogenic Environmental Change and Sexual and Reproductive Health

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 synthesize the literature connecting anthropogenic environmental change and SRH in Southeast Asia. We conducted a scoping review, searching five databases systematically, and inductively synthesized findings. We included 45 eligible sources of 2764 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.