Reproductive health in Mexico and Latin America.

Abstract

In 1974 Mexico responded to a population growth rate of 3.4% by including family planning (FP) as a constitutional right and establishing a new population law and population program which sought to reduce fertility levels as well as maternal-child mortality. By 1994 Mexicos growth rate was reduced to 1.8 and maternal-child mortality had declined. Reproductive health (RH) was made a priority issue for the National Development Plan for 1995-2000 and applies a gender perspective to FP the needs of adolescents safe motherhood womens health sexually transmitted diseases male responsibility and infertility management. The quality and accessibility of FP programs were strengthened through an intensive program of training in logistics to improve contraceptive distribution and introduce methods such as no-scalpel vasectomy monthly injectables IUDs and subdermal implants. The mass media is being used to promote the concept of RH and specific initiatives target adolescents promote safe motherhood promote breast feeding provide screening for birth defects seek to improve access to and quality of prenatal care help diabetic women plan pregnancies and contraception create a network of laboratories for cervical and breast cancer screening provide information and services for peri- and postmenopausal women and continue RH research. The Latin American region is characterized by large variation in health status among countries limited epidemiological data early entry into reproductive life mortality due to HIV/AIDS and illegal abortion and low levels of contraceptive use among young people. A network of collaborating institutions has conducted 250 RH research projects during the past 20 years and a South-South Partnership has been formed to implement the Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development.