As part of the United Nations Millennium Campaign, world activists proposed a measure to “[a]chieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health” (“Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health” 1). However, 2015 has passed, and “only half of pregnant women receive the recommended amount of antenatal care” (“Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health” 1). This lack of access to proper reproductive health, particularly in developing countries, remains a pressing issue in need of immediate attention not only to empower women by providing them with the basic right to control their bodies but also to preclude the threatening implications that could potentially result from this lack of control. One such consequence, which remains inevitable as long as reproductive
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In a news release published by Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit organization that works to advance reproductive health, researcher Gustavo Suárez claims that “[r]oughly three-quarters (73%) of the 222 million women in developing countries who want to avoid a pregnancy but are not using a modern method now live in the poorest countries” (1). Simply put, women in less-developed countries lack proper access to contraceptives, which stands as a gargantuan obstacle in the fight to improve reproductive health in impoverished areas. Health officials have already taken initiative in the mass distribution of birth control methods; the effectiveness of such undertakings thus far suggests a potential solution to the limited extent of proper reproductive resources. To illustrate, the medical company Pfizer has developed a convenient, efficient, and inexpensive injectable contraceptive known as Depo-Provera. Taken in three-month intervals, this contraceptive stands as a revolutionary alternative to traditional birth control methods, such as the birth control pill, which is only effective when in consistent supply. Furthermore, Depo-Provera is available to women at incredibly low costs: “the product…typically costs about $1.50 a dose,” or about six dollars a year, and Pfizer is even working to reduce the price …show more content…
Each method seems vitally important to improving the control women have over their reproductive choices, so a balance of the two would yield the ideal resolution. To determine this delicate balance, one must evaluate the relative effectiveness of each proposed solution. For instance, distributing birth control methods would generate instantaneous results: birth rates would presumably drop rapidly as women become more in control of their families. This, therefore, should be the first step in solving the problem in order to preclude overpopulation and unnecessary pregnancy-related deaths as soon as possible. Once these priorities are met, world health and education leaders should coordinate to organize the aforesaid education programs, which will require much more time and investment than merely shipping out materials. Such programs will establish a long-term effect on women and their families; contraceptives cannot last forever—in fact, since some religious traditions and attitudes toward western medicine prohibit the use of birth control, contraceptives alone will not be conducive to women as a whole. Education, on the other hand, can be passed down through friends and family, thus establishing a long-lasting, sustainable impact. Education programs can also readily provide women with various contraceptives to further
In a news release published by Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit organization that works to advance reproductive health, researcher Gustavo Suárez claims that “[r]oughly three-quarters (73%) of the 222 million women in developing countries who want to avoid a pregnancy but are not using a modern method now live in the poorest countries” (1). Simply put, women in less-developed countries lack proper access to contraceptives, which stands as a gargantuan obstacle in the fight to improve reproductive health in impoverished areas. Health officials have already taken initiative in the mass distribution of birth control methods; the effectiveness of such undertakings thus far suggests a potential solution to the limited extent of proper reproductive resources. To illustrate, the medical company Pfizer has developed a convenient, efficient, and inexpensive injectable contraceptive known as Depo-Provera. Taken in three-month intervals, this contraceptive stands as a revolutionary alternative to traditional birth control methods, such as the birth control pill, which is only effective when in consistent supply. Furthermore, Depo-Provera is available to women at incredibly low costs: “the product…typically costs about $1.50 a dose,” or about six dollars a year, and Pfizer is even working to reduce the price …show more content…
Each method seems vitally important to improving the control women have over their reproductive choices, so a balance of the two would yield the ideal resolution. To determine this delicate balance, one must evaluate the relative effectiveness of each proposed solution. For instance, distributing birth control methods would generate instantaneous results: birth rates would presumably drop rapidly as women become more in control of their families. This, therefore, should be the first step in solving the problem in order to preclude overpopulation and unnecessary pregnancy-related deaths as soon as possible. Once these priorities are met, world health and education leaders should coordinate to organize the aforesaid education programs, which will require much more time and investment than merely shipping out materials. Such programs will establish a long-term effect on women and their families; contraceptives cannot last forever—in fact, since some religious traditions and attitudes toward western medicine prohibit the use of birth control, contraceptives alone will not be conducive to women as a whole. Education, on the other hand, can be passed down through friends and family, thus establishing a long-lasting, sustainable impact. Education programs can also readily provide women with various contraceptives to further