Reproductive health services thus imply the enabling of individuals, both males and females, to decide freely and responsibly, the number, spacing and timing of their children. For this they must have the information and the means to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health.

Recent activities of the international women's health movement have generated considerable interest in women's sexuality and gender research.

The magnitude of reproductive and sexual health problems in South Asia is daunting. However, an enabling policy environment provides an opportunity to address unmet needs. Neglected reproductive health problems can be effectively addressed through a life-cycle approach.

There was a case from Germany in 1960 where a pregnant women named 'Sigi' took the drug - thalidomide - which was advertised as effective, safe, and nonaddictive hypnotic for treatment of her insomnia. She delivered a monster which had no limbs (phocomelia).

The women's groups were able to actively agitate against population control policies at conference on environment held in Rio-de-Janeiro in 1992, at conference on human rights at Vienna 1993, and then they were able to get the POA (Programme of Action) of the conference on population and developm

In the absence of a basic questioning of women's status and role in society, birth control, abortions-and even maternal health care end up merely replacing an old set of traditions with new ones.

The Population Foundation of India has recently published a monograph 'State of India's Population' in which, among other things one finds estimates of the human development index (HDI) the gender related health index (GRHI) and the reproductive health index (RHI).

Most family planning and reproductive health researches and services in India, as elsewhere, target women, that too ever married women in reproductive ages. Consequently, these services as well as researches have not addressed a large number of issues concerning men.

Every young girl dreams of becoming a mother after marriage. She looks forward to this period with the utmost hope and joy to see that her child develops well in her womb, has no birth defects and grows up well, so that she can be a proud mother of that child.

A growing recognition that population dynamics, quality of life and women's status are closely inter related argues strongly for a fresh look at India's population program.