SOCIOLOGICAL ATTEMPTS TO ENHANCE WOMEN'S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN RURAL AREAS OF PAKISTAN

Abstract

Issues related to human reproduction and reproductive health traverse multiple domains, from medicine and technology to morality, law, and culture. On the one hand, they relate to the most private and intimate aspects of an individual's life, especially that of a woman's. On the other hand, they connect with very broad social phenomena, such as sustainable development and the role of men and women in society. The present brief is an attempt to unravel some of these issues, including those related to family planning, abortion, and maternal health, in the context of Pakistan’s society. The brief advocates a human rights and "life-cycle approach" to reproductive health as a means to making technically and ethically sound choices about future strategies and actions. To explore the reproductive health issue, researcher adopted a quantitative research methodology and got information by questionnaire. By a purposive sampling technique, Multan City was selected as the universe and five hospitals were selected as samples. The article concludes with thoughts on future areas of sociological research that may improve our understanding of men's influences on women's reproductive health.