Abstract
The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development developed international consensus amongst health providers, policy makers, and group representing the whole of civil society regarding the concept of reproductive health and its definition. In line with this definition, reproductive health care is defined as the constellation of methods, techniques and services that contribute to reproductive health and well-being by preventing and solving reproductive health problems.
Reproductive health care saves lives and prevents significant levels of morbidity through family planning programmes, antenatal, delivery and post-natal services, prevention and management programmes for reproductive tract infections (including sexually trasmitted diseases and HIV/ AIDS), prevention of abortion and management of its complications, cancers of the reproductive system, and harmful practices that impact on reproductive function. Reproductive health care needs are evident at all stages of the life cycle and account for a greater proportion of disability adjusted life years (DALYS) in girls and women than in boys and men.
Reproductive health protects infant health by enabling birth spacing and birth limitation to be practiced through family planning. The prevention and early detection of reproductive tract infections, including sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, through the integration of preventive measures in family planning service delivery not only improves the quality of care provided but is also directly responsible for improvement in survival and health of infants.
Addressing harmful practices such as son preference, sex selection, sexual violence and female genital mutilation complements the positive impact of planned and spaced children through family planning services on infant mortality and the reproductive health of young girls and women. They are also in addition to prenatal, delivery and postnatal services, positive determinants of low maternal mortality and morbidity and are integral to the promotion of reproductive health in women of child bearing age. Reproductive tract infections, including sexually transmitted diseases and HIV contribute to significant level of ill-health in women of reproductive age and continue to pose a threat through the menopause which in turn brings with it increasing risk of cancers of the reproductive system.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Programme of Action of the International Confernce on Population and Development, Cairo 1994.
Potts M. and Thapa S.“ChildSurvival and the Role of Family Planning” Family Health International, USA. 1091.
Reference for Bangladesh and / or India studies
Hobcraft JN :“Does family planning save children’s lives?” Technical background paper prepared for the International Conference on better health for women and children through family planning, Nairobi, Kenya. 1987.
WHO Position Paper.“Health Population and Development” WHO, Geneva. 1994.
United Nations Department of International Economic and Social Affairs.“TheWorld’s Women 1970-1990 : Trends and Statistics”, New York, 1991.
World Bank Publication.“A New Agenda for Women’s Health and Nutrition” The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA. 1994.
Divekar SA,et al.“Abortion in unmarried girls”Health and Population Perspectives and Issues; 1979; 2 (4): 308–321.
WHO.“FGMand its consequences”. 1996.
UNDP Paper.“YoungWomen : Silence,Susceptibility and the HIV Epidemic” UNDP HIV and Development Program, New York 1993.
WHO.“WHO’swork in reproductive health: the role of the Speical programme” Progress in Human Reproduction Research, WHO. 1997.
United Nations.“Family Planning, Health and Family Well-Being” Proceedings of the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Family Planning, Health and Family Well-being, Bangalore, India, 26–30 October 1992.1996.
Heise L, Moore K and Toubia N.“SexualCoercion and Reproductive Health : A Focus on Research” The Population Council, NY, NY.
Germaine A, Holmes K.K., Piot P., Wasserheit JN.“ReproductiveTract Infections Global Impact and Priorities for Women’s Reproductive Health” Plenum Press, New York.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sadik, N. Reproductive health/family planning and the health of infants, girls and women. Indian J Pediatr 64, 739–744 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02725493
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02725493