Inequalities in Reproductive Health: What is the Challenge for Social Work and How Can It Respond?

Summary: The purpose of this article is to identify contemporary reproductive health issues and the role of social work in combating them. It draws on an extensive range of sources to overview key reproductive health concerns currently facing millions of people — primarily girls and women in the world's poorest countries: genital cutting; infertility; HIV/AIDS; antenatal sex selection; complications of pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy termination; and sexual violence.

• Findings: The article draws on the International Federation of Social Workers/International Association of Schools of Social Work joint statement Ethics in Social Work, Statement of Principles, as a vehicle for providing both a mandate and the necessary value base for social work engagement with reproductive health issues.

• Application: Finally, the article considers the role of social work in challenging reproductive health disadvantage and inequality, locally, nationally and internationally, highlighting both constraints and suggestions for developing interventions.

Key Words: ethics • reproductive health • social work