The Special Programme of Research in Human Reproduction: Forty Years of Activities to Achieve Reproductive Health for All

Abstract

The Special Programme of Research in Human Reproduction (HRP), co-sponsored by the UNDP, UNFPA, WHO, and the World Bank, is celebrating 40 years of activities with an expansion of its mandate and new co-sponsors. When it began, in 1972, the main focus was on evaluating the acceptability, effectiveness, and safety of existing fertility-regulating methods, as well as developing new, improved modalities for family planning. In 1994, HRP not only made major contributions to the Plan of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD); it also broadened its scope of work to include other aspects of health dealing with sexuality and reproduction, adding a specific perspective on gender issues and human rights. In 2002, HRP’s mandate was once again broadened to include sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS and in 2003 it was further expanded to research activities on preventing violence against women and its many dire health consequences. Today, the work of the Programme includes research on: the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents, women, and men; maternal and perinatal health; reproductive tract and sexually transmitted infections (including HIV/AIDS); family planning; infertility; unsafe abortion; sexual health; screening for cancer of the cervix in developing countries, and gender and reproductive rights. Additional activities by the Programme have included: fostering international cooperation in the field of human reproduction; the elaboration of WHO’s first Global Reproductive Health Strategy; work leading to the inclusion of ICPD’s goal ‘reproductive health for all by 2015’ into the Millennium Development Goal framework; the promotion of critical interagency statements on the public health, legal, and human rights implications of female genital mutilation and gender-biased sex selection. Finally, HRP has been involved in the creation of guidelines and tools, such as the ‘Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use’, the ‘Global handbook for family planning providers’, the ‘Definition of core competencies in primary health care’, and designing tools for operationalizing a human rights approach to sexual and reproductive health programmes.

Use of Misoprostol for Self-Induced Medical Abortions among Saudi Women: A Call for Attention

“…A recent report analyzing the incidence and trends of induced abortion from 1995 to 2008 worldwide, conducted by the Programme of Research in Human Reproduction and the A. Guttmacher Institute, showed that unsafe abortions have increased over time and that investments in family planning and safe abortion care are needed globally to achieve the Millennium Development Goal [16]. …”

Nonrandom Return: Lessons from Women Returning for Follow-Up Results of Cervical Cancer Screening in Rural Haiti

“…Lacking phones, mail services, radio, internet and television as means to transmit messages to individuals, utilizing the patient's social network to improve her chances of follow-up is clearly a tactic to be explored. Addressing such barriers to improve reproductive health for women in developing nations is a critical component of The Special Programme of Research in Human Reproduction, cosponsored by the UNDP, UNFPA, WHO, and the World Bank [8]. …”

Levonorgestrel butanoate intramuscular injection does not reliably suppress ovulation for 90 days in obese and normal-BMI women: a pilot study

“…The earlier studies compared three doses of LB (12.5, 25 and 50 mg) in subjects of low to normal BMI. These studies showed a clear dose response and the duration of action based on return to ovulation (12.5 mg = 105 days, 25mg = 231 days, 50mg = 265 days [2,3] with a great deal of individual variability (range) for the 25 mg dose. However, higher doses (50 mg) of the drug lasted for a much longer period (>6 months), leading to the prospect of developing a method that would last for a minimum of 4 months and possibly as long as 6 months.…”

“…However, higher doses (50 mg) of the drug lasted for a much longer period (>6 months), leading to the prospect of developing a method that would last for a minimum of 4 months and possibly as long as 6 months. Unfortunately, earlier formulations of injectable LB were found to aggregate over time, resulting in loss of product stability and reproducibility of the clinical batches [2,3]. A new formulation of LB has been developed by CONRAD (Arlington, VA) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD, Bethesda, MD) that has stabilizing agents to prevent aggregation.…”