An Overview of Advances in Global Maternal Health: From Broad to Specific Improvements

Abstract

(Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2019;146(1):126–131) Over the past 3 decades, many advances have been made in the field of maternal health. This work intends to highlight 10 of the landmark health system, clinical, and technology-based advancements that have occurred over this time frame.

Reproductive identity: An emerging concept.

“…First, reproduction has largely been considered a heteronormative women's issue (Riskind & Patterson, 2010), leading to the marginalization of males (Culley, Hudson, & Lohan, 2013;Ravitsky & Kimmins, 2019) and sexual minorities (Moradi, Mohr, Worthington, & Fassinger, 2009;Mercurio, 2019) who could equally benefit from and share the burdens of, reproductive health reforms. Second, women, are differentially affected given the "motherhood mandate" (Gotlib, 2016), maternal mortality rates (Khorrami, Stone, Small, Stringer, & Ahmadzia, 2019), career-family conflicts (Seierstad & Kirton, 2015), and risks for trauma and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (Barnes, 2014;Hart & Flynn, 2016). Third, the reigning pregnancy prevention paradigm must integrate more culturally competent approaches that normalize the positive value of childbearing across diverse communities that do not share the Western ideals of selfhood (Arnett, 2008).…”