What is Reproductive Health Care?

A comprehensive reproductive health programme might include the following elements as part of primary health care (with appropriate referrals):

• Family planning information and services, including counselling and follow-up, aimed at all couples and individuals;
• prenatal, delivery (including assisted delivery) and post-natal care, with referral for the management of obstetric complications;
• prevention of abortion, management of the consequences of abortion and post-abortion counselling and family planning;
• prevention of reproductive tract infections including sexually transmitted diseases, and treatment of systemic infections;
• prevention of HIV/AIDS;
• prevention of infertility and sub-fecundity;
• routine screening for urinary tract infections, cervical infections, cervical and breast cancer and other women's reproductive health conditions;
• active discouragement of harmful practices such as female genital mutilation.