Political and religious perspectives on managing the risks and benefits of women’s medicines

Abstract

Women with their specific needs and inevitably dependent status in certain stages of life are much more vulnerable to the effects of political and religious environment which surrounds them. Religious beliefs of their immediate surroundings affect their sexual and reproductive behavior at least to the same level as their own beliefs and values; and political and socio-economic environment determines choices they have with regards to reproductive behavior. Any methods designed to control the level of human reproduction are a sensitive political as well as religious matter and a public health issue. The reproductive health of a nation is a public health issue. Therefore, risks associated with the use and misuse of certain women’s heath medicines that control fertility and reproduction affect the health of the individual as well as the society. Political decisions, socio-economic environment, culture, administrative measures, religious influences, and public policies profoundly affect decision-making of individuals and couples when and how they start a family, how many children they wish to have, how many children they do have, and spacing and timing of pregnancies. Thus we need to adapt our approach to risk management by adapting planning to social, religious and cultural variation. This will have implications for advising women about how to use medicines for controlling reproduction and the design of educational programmes about safe use of medicines for women’s health.