Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Many societies have made the transition from high mortality and large family sizes to settings where most children survive, small families are desired, and most people control their fertility. In the early 1960s, the average woman could expect to have almost five children over her life, but now she can expect to have fewer than three children. The conscious use of contraception and abortion to control fertility thus assumes paramount importance in explaining basic aspects of contemporary human society. However, substantial differences exist in fertility and contraceptive levels and access to services between developed and developing regions of the world. For example, while in more developed regions women now have fewer than two children on average and nearly 7 in 10 women in marital or consensual unions use contraceptives (mainly sterilization, the pill, or the male condom), women in Africa have about five children on average and fewer than 3 in 10 women in marital or consensual unions use contraceptives (mainly the pill, injectables, and implants) ( United Nations 2004 ). Other factors such as social structure, culture, gender relations, and economic opportunities also contribute to these regional differences. The area of sexual and reproductive health is broad and encompasses sexual behavior (as it relates to marriage, pregnancy, and fertility; adolescents' sexual activity; ... log in or subscribe to read full text