Religion and reproductive health and rights

This essay examines the relationship between religion and public policy issues concerning reproductive health and rights. It particularly focuses on how such issues affect women. Although not ignoring the sometimes oppositional stance of some religious spokepersons to birth control and attempts to mitigate the suffering caused by HIV/AIDS, early or frequent pregnancy, discrimination against female fetuses and babies, and so on, the essay seeks to identify positive responses by religiously committed people, particularly women, that parallel or reinforce UNFPA initiatives to address such problems. The essay also attempts to articulate ways in which religion should come to grips with issues of reproductive health and rights.