A tale
of two regions: reproductive health in the Caribbean
and the Gulf |
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CONTINUES TO constitute an important area
in the fields of demography and medicine. Reproductive health
has evolved from involving contraceptive use, family planning,
abortion and related fields to include the attendance of births
by skilled health professionals, safe delivery of babies, encouraging
women to exercise their right to choose and the practice of
healthy life styles during pregnancy and gestation. An integral
component of reproductive health today is the integration of
HIV/AIDS services and programs in family planning and other
reproductive health activities. Today, reproductive health
is not only a major health issue, but also a means to sustainable
development as well as a human right (UNFPA, 2005).
Many international meetings of demographic and health professionals
continue to discuss and investigate improvements in reproductive
health. International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)
(2004, p. 2) noted that documents formulated at several international
meetings--e.g. the 1994 International Conference on Population
and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, the 1995 Fourth World Conference
on Women in Beijing--reflect a global consensus on women's
right to sexual and reproductive health. |
