Over the past thirty years, fertility has declined dramatically in Brazil, partly reflecting improved educational and employment opportunities for women. Yet efforts to limit fertility have provoked serious sexual and reproductive health problems, including the unregulated use of oral contraceptives, unnecessary cesarean sections and illicit abortions. To exacerbate these problems, HIV/AIDS is spreading rapidly to the poorest segments of society. Despite the positive results of progressive health policies since the early 1980s, reproductive health services remain incomplete and of poor quality, contributing little to the reduction of gender, race and social class inequalities.

The Reproductive Health Program seeks to advance public and professional understanding of the social, economic and cultural environments that affect sexual and reproductive health. A major Program focus is to support policy

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studies and initiatives that can provide women with the resources to understand, articulate and effectively address their reproductive health needs.

Reproductive Health Program actions involve:

• Applied social science research on critical issues such as unsafe abortion, women and HIV/AIDS, adolescent health needs, the development of reproductive health indicators, and the role of men in reproductive health;

• Multidisciplinary health care and social science training that emphasize greater understanding of gender relations and sexuality; professional and public education to broaden the legal and ethical frameworks for sexual and reproductive rights to allow individuals greater autonomy in reproductive health decisions; initiatives that can strengthen national capacity to monitor and evaluate policies and programs to improve women's status and reproductive health rights; and,

• Networking among women's groups to bring feminist perspectives to bear on policy debate and implementation; promoting informed discussion of ethical and religious issues related to gender, sexuality, family values, children's sex education and reproduction; and, the evaluation of innovative, community-based models to attract the attention of health professionals and policymakers.