Reproductive Rights: Still a Battleground
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Women have made health strides in recent years as attitudes toward domestic violence and sexual harassment evolve, but access to reproductive services remains an ideological lightning rod. Partisans still argue over a fundamental question: Who gets to control women’s bodies? Research shows that girls are more likely to stay in school when family planning programs are available, and that women who can space their pregnancies reduce their risk of illness and death. Use of modern contraceptives has increased globally in recent years, but powerful cultural norms and lack of access are countervailing influences and 214 million women who want to avoid pregnancy still aren’t able to get contraception. What’s the future for reproductive rights?
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