Abstract
Reproductive health in Australia is assessed using the parameters outlined in the UN 1994 Cairo conference; some limitations of that approach are noted and further aspects of reproductive health identified and discussed. While many of the basic goals of reproductive health, for example low maternal mortality and widespread contraceptive use, have been largely achieved in Australia, the gains have not been uniform and certain groups such as indigenous Australians, those in rural and remote areas, young people and men remain disadvantaged. The remaining challenges cannot be met within the health system alone but require broader systemic interventions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adelson, P.I., M.S. Frommer and E. Weisberg. 1995. A survey of women seeking termination of pregnancy in New South Wales.Medical journal of Australia 163(8):419–422.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). 1986.Australian Demographic Trends 1986. Catalogue No. 3102.0. Canberra.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). 1996.Women’s Safety Australia. Catalogue No. 4128.0. Canberra.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). 1998.Births Australia 1998. Catalogue No. 3301.0. Canberra.
Australian Bureau of Statistics/Office of the Status of Women (ABS/OSW). 1997.Australian Women’s Year Book 1997. Catalogue No. 4124.0. Canberra.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). 1996.Australia’s Mothers and Babies, 1996. Canberra.
Bancroft, John. 1989.Human Sexuality and Its Problems. 2nd edition. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
Berkley, Seth. 1998. Unsafe sex as a risk factor. Pp.513–536 in C.C. Murray and A.D. Lopez (eds),Health Dimensions of Sex and Reproduction. Cambridge MA: Harvard School of Public Health.
Carmichael, Gordon A. 1998. Things ain’t what they used to be! Demography, mental cohorts, morality and values in post-war Australia.Journal of the Australian Population Association 15(2):91–114.
Chew, K.K., CM. Earle, B.G.A. Stucley, K.D. Jamrosil, S.S. Dhaliwal and E.J. Keogh. 1997. Erectile dysfunction in general medical practice - a study in Perth, Australia.International Journal of Impotence Research 9 (Supplement) 1 October:l-5.
Evans, Ann. 2000. Power and negotiation: young women’s choices about sex, contraception.Journal of Population Research 17(2):143–162.
Gilbert, Emma, Margaret Ryan, Christine Bailey, Jenny Dowd, Susan Sawyer and Margaret Peters. 1997.Female Genital Mutilation: Information for Australian Health Professionals. Melbourne: Royal Australian College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Greene, Margaret E. and Ann E. Biddlecom. 2000. Absent and problematic men: demographic accounts of male reproductive roles.Population and Development Review 26(1):81–116.
Inder, Brigid. 1998. Cairo to Canberra. Pp.33–37 inHealth for All into the 21st Century: Rights and Responsibilities. Canberra: All Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development.
Kane, Penny. 1991.Women’s Health: From Womb to Tomb. London: Macmillan.
Kane, Penny. 1997. Engendering public health priorities. Pp.45–62 inEmerging Issues in Health: Priorities and Actions. Perth: Curtin University of Technology.
Kane, Penny. 1998. Reproductive health: whose rights, whose responsibilities? Pp.12–14 inHealth for All into the 21st Century: Rights and Responsibilities. Canberra: All Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development.
Lucas, David and Erica Fisher. 1998. Contraceptive prevalence in Australia 1986–1995. Pp.15–16 inHealth for All into the 21st Century: Rights and Responsibilities Canberra: All Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development.
Mathers, Colin, Theo Vosz and Chris Stevenson. 1999.The Burden of Disease and Injury in Australia. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). 1996.An Information Paper on Termination of Pregnancy in Australia. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.
Pool, Ian, Janet Dickson, A. Dharmalingam, Sarah Hillcoat-Nalletamby, Kim Johnstone and Helen Roberts. 1999.New Zealand’s Contraceptive Revolutions. Waikato: University of Waikato.
Ruzicka, L.T. and C.Y. Choi. 1993. Suicide mortality in Australia, 1970–1991.Journal of the Australian Population Association 10(2):101–118.
Senate Community Affairs References Committee (SCARC). 1999.Rocking the Cradle: A Report into Childbirth Procedures. Canberra.
Siedlecky, Stefania. 1986. A decade for women — a decade of family planning. Pp.108–116 inWomen’s Health in a Changing Society 1985 Conference Proceedings, vol. 3. Adelaide: Organising Committee, Second National Women’s Health Conference.
United Nations (UN). 1994.Population and Development: Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo 5–13 September 1994. ST/ESA/SER.A/149. New York.
Weisberg, Edith. 1998. Constraints through lack of availability of latest contraceptive methods including emergency contraception. Pp. 17–18 inHealth for All into the 21st Century: Rights and Responsibilities. Canberra: All Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development.
Women’s Health Australia. 1997.Newsletter Match: factsheets on the first survey results, 1997.
World Health Organization (WHO). 1997. Resistance of gonococci specimens to various antimicrobials used in the treatment of gonorrhoea. Pp.127–131 inSTD HIV AIDS Surveillance Report 10. Manila: World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kane, P. Challenges to reproductive health in Australia. J Pop Research 17, 163–173 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03029463
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03029463