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nature outlook article

OUTLOOK 16 December 2020

Reproductive health
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Advances in contraception further the sustainable-development goal of family

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planning.
Strengthening society with
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Research round-up: reproductive

Credit: Chiara Zarmati
health

There are many markers that define advanced civilization. Access to a steady supply of food
and good health care are both critical, as is ubiquity of education and relief from the most Subjects
dangerous forms of labour. Add family planning to that list. The freedom for people to have
Public health Society Economics
babies when they want, and not have them when they don’t want to, provides a sturdy
foundation for families, and indeed societies, to thrive. In low- and middle-income countries Medical research

(LMICs), family planning is increasingly seen as central to sustainable development.

The technology of birth control has come a long way. Women

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are starting to gain access to methods of contraception that
avoid some of the more bothersome side effects of conventional Sign up to Nature Briefing
hormonal drugs. Particularly appealing are ‘set and forget’ An essential round-up of science news,
approaches, such as subcutaneous implants and intra-uterine opinion and analysis, delivered to your inbox
devices, which, once in place, protect against pregnancy for every weekday.
years. New approaches are also emerging for men, including a
hormonal gel that is the first new male contraceptive to enter Email address
efficacy testing in more than five years, as well as non-hormonal e.g. jo.smith@university.ac.uk
drugs that reduce the motility of sperm.
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Ever since the first test-tube baby was born more than 40 years
Reproductive health Limited Privacy Policy.
ago, couples who found themselves shut out of baby-making
have been turning to in vitro fertilization (IVF). Access to this Sign up
process has been limited by its high cost, especially in LMICs. But the latest technologies —
and attitudes — aim to address these inequities.

Reproductive issues have long spawned controversy. One with life-and-death stakes
surrounds the use of misoprostol, a drug that helps to prevent uterine haemorrhage but that
can also be used by women to terminate their pregnancies without medical assistance — a
practice forbidden in many parts of the world.

Debate also swirls around the role of religion and economics in family planning, particularly
in the United States, which seems to be sliding back from the policy of former president
Barack Obama’s administration to cut the cost of contraceptives.

We are pleased to acknowledge the financial support of Bayer AG, Pharmaceuticals in

producing this Outlook. As always, Nature retains sole responsibility for all editorial content.

Nature 588, S161 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03529-1

This article is part of Nature Outlook: Reproductive health, an editorially independent

supplement produced with the financial support of third parties. About this content.

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Nature (Nature) ISSN 1476-4687 (online) ISSN 0028-0836 (print)

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