The World Bank's Reproductive Health Action Plan 2010-2015

Reproductive health (RH) is a key facet of human development. Improved RH outcomes – lower fertility rates, improved pregnancy outcomes, and lower sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) – have broader individual, family, and societal benefits, including a healthier and more productive work force; greater financial and other resources for each child in smaller families; and as a means for enabling young women to delay childbearing until they have achieved educational and other goals. Many studies have demonstrated that poor RH outcomes – early pregnancies, unintended pregnancies, excess fertility, poorly managed obstetric complications – adversely affect the opportunities for poor women and their families to escape poverty. Women‟s full and equal participation in the development process is contingent on accessing essential RH services, including the ability to make voluntary and informed decisions about fertility. Men, too, play an important role in supporting a couple's reproductive health needs, especially since effective use of contraceptive methods as well as seeking maternal health care services are often influenced by men. One consequence of high fertility is high population growth which can constrain countries at low levels of socio-economic development. Reductions in fertility lead to low youth dependency and a high ratio of working people to total population, creating a demographic window of opportunity during which output per capita rises and countries enjoy a demographic dividend.   
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