Through research, publications, organization of meetings, participation on policy-making bodies, and technical assistance, the Center seeks to advance reproductive and sexual health and rights, which, for the sake of brevity, is referred to as reproductive health. Its initiatives in Latin America are implemented in concert with the Civil Society Forum of the Americas.

Meetings

The Center is developing a meeting of high-level Latin American political leaders that will address three social issues of critical importance in the region: domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, and unwanted pregnancy. Called New Challenges for Responsible Policy-Making, the meeting is sponsored by the Civil Society Forum of the Americas and organized by three leading Latin American institutions: the Latin American Social Science Faculties (FLACSO), the Center for the Study of the State and Society (CEDES), and the Center for Law and Sociology (CELS). It will be convened in Argentina on November 30, 2001, and attended by prominent political leaders from each of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries in the region.

This meeting builds upon and earlier initiative the Center co-sponsored with the Universidad Externado in Bogotá, Colombia in 1998, which brought together 80 parliamentarians from 21 Latin American countries to discuss the public health, medical, legal, ethical, and religious issues of induced abortion. It resulted in an unprecedented consensus, the “Declaration of Bogotá”, that acknowledged the ineffectiveness of current restrictive laws and resolved to revise existing legislation with the intent of preventing unwanted pregnancies.

The Advanced Leadership Program for China’s State Family Planning Commission

Since 1998, the Center has organized a series of week-long seminars in Princeton, New Jersey, for the top officials of China’s State Family Planning Commission. As China moves from a policy based on population control to one based on reproductive choice, the Advanced Leadership Program gives the participating leaders from Beijing and the provinces an opportunity to learn about the broad concepts of reproductive health shared by the international community and the experience of different countries in developing reproductive health programs. Thus far, over 100 officials have participated in these seminars, which are carried out in collaboration with China’s State Family Planning Commission and San Francisco’s Public Media Center. A book based on the course materials is being published in English and Chinese.

Technical Assistance and Research

The Center provides technical assistance to Oriéntame, a Colombian reproductive health organization, for research on the role of men in reproductive and sexual health and on the communication patterns of couples engaged in decision making regarding family size.

The Center has provided support to the Asociación Salud con Prevención, a Colombian family planning organization, for its reproductive health programs for adolescents and investigating the population’s use of its health services.

John Gagnon, a senior scientist with the Center, has analyzed data from two surveys (one a national survey of the United States and the other one in the Chicago, Illinois area) on sexual attitudes and behaviors in the United States. His analysis provides important information about HIV/AIDS, spousal abuse, adolescent sexuality, and sexual dysfunction and pleasure.

The Center’s staff has published journal articles on issues emanating from the International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in 1994, including the role of men in reproductive health, abortion, and sexual and reproductive rights.

Advisory Role

Senior staff members provide guidance on matters concerning reproductive health to members of various policy-making bodies, including the World Health Organization and the Inter-American Development Bank. They also serve as a resource to civil society organizations, educational institutions, foundations, and the media, such as the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population; the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Rainbo; the Park Ridge Center for Health, Faith and Ethics; the Religious Consultation on Population, Reproductive Health and Ethics; Population Communication International; the New York University Center on International Cooperation; World Learning; the Dickler Family Foundation; and Public Radio International.