Moving Forward on Reproductive Health

Reproductive health policy has been mired in debates over abortion and sexuality, leaving unresolved a cluster of reproductive health problems. Reframing this cluster of issues in terms of public health "a field that favors pragmatic, evidence-based approaches over ideology" might lead to real progress toward improving women's health. When these issues are viewed from such a perspective, certain themes emerge. First, reproductive health requires the availability of scientifically accurate information regarding all stages of life. Second, reproductive health services must be legally, financially, and practically accessible. Third, such services should encompass not only efforts to avoid pregnancy but also efforts to achieve pregnancy. Fourth, pregnancy and childbirth can and should be made safer. Fifth, a public health approach places medical problems in the context of social forces such as poverty, environmental pollution, poor education, and domestic violence.