Although the female condom has been on the market for more than ten years, the supply and adoption of this device, which protects against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, is still too low to have an impact on the AIDS epidemic. This publication, a follow up to the 2005 Global Consultation on the Female Condom, answers key questions about the female condom. It presents evidence about its effectiveness and impact, identifies challenges to wider use and suggests steps to strengthen condom programming worldwide.

The brochure profiles gender differences in health and development in the 48 states and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on women's reproductive health, access to key health services, and major causes of death. Its objective is to raise awareness of gender inequities in the region and promote the use of sex-disaggregated health statistics in the development of targeted health and development policies and other initiatives.

This revised Interagency List of Essential Medicines for Reproductive Health presents the current international consensus on rational selection of essential reproductive health medicines. The list is intended to support decisions regarding the production, quality assurance, national procurement and reimbursement schemes of these medicines.