Adding to the burgeoning study of medicine and science in Latin
America, this important book offers a comprehensive historical
perspective on the highly contentious issues of sexual and
reproductive health in an important Andean nation. Raul Necochea
Lopez approaches family planning as a historical phenomenon layered
with medical, social, economic, and moral implications. At stake in
this complex mix were new notions of individual autonomy, the
future of gender relations, and national prosperity.
The implementation of Peru's first family planning programs led to
a rapid professionalization of fertility control. Complicating the
evolution of associated medical services were the conflicting
agendas of ordinary citizens, power brokers from governmental and
military sectors, clergy, and international health groups. While
family planning promised a greater degree of control over
individuals' intimate lives, as well as opportunities for economic
improvement through the effective management of birth rates, the
success of attempts to regulate fertility was far from assured.
Today, Necochea Lopez observes, although the quality of family
planning resources in Peru has improved, services remain far from
equitably available.