Conflicts between male and female reproductive agendas continue to play out in contemporary issues of sex, power, and politics. Viewing gender through the lens of biologic evolutionary psychology reveals persistent con- troversies surrounding women’s rights. The history of oral contraceptives com- pared with that of erectile dysfunction drugs is just one example of the disparity between female and male reproductive choices. Contraceptives, maternal mortality, abortion, and domestic violence are issues directly influenced by politics, religion, and gender biases. Ultimately, everything that can we can do to give women control over their bodies and their fertility is not only just and humane, but it also changes the world for the better. The United States must restore its leadership in international family planning— ensuring reproductive freedoms could be the genesis of other freedoms.
Published in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Vol 106, No 5, Part 1, November 2005
Download PDF, click here.