Access and Attitudes Regarding Emergency Contraception and Reproductive Health in Nicaragua

Unintended pregnancy affects millions of women across the globe and often leads to an increased risk of health complications and socio-economic stress. In Nicaragua, approximately 1 in 6 births are unplanned, a relatively low number in comparison to the United States. However, the rate of unintended pregnancy is particularly problematic within the adolescent age group of Nicaragua, where 50% of women give birth before age 20 and 45% of those births are unplanned. The annual fertility rate of Nicaragua’s adolescents (109 births per 1,000 15-19- year-olds) is the highest in all of North, Central and South America, where the average adolescent birth rate is 61 per 1,000 15-19-year-olds. Upon completion of thorough research on the topic, access to emergency contraception and reproductive rights in Nicaragua is clearly a multi-faceted topic. Given the conservatively Catholic and male-dominated culture, one may be surprised at the rate in which Nicaraguan women are using contraception, both long term and emergency. However, barriers to access are still evident. For now, sexual health and pregnancy prevention remains an issue burdening only women in Nicaragua. Along with the expansion of education programs for women, I believe it is imperative that men are encouraged to join in on the conversation and take their share of responsibility

Autism and family involvement in the right to education in the EU: policy mapping in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Introduction:In recent years, the universal right to education has been emphasised by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In this paper, we mapped policies relevant to special education needs and parental involvement of children with autism at an international level and in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. Methods:A policy path analysis was performed using a scoping review as an underlying methodological framework. This allowed for a rapid gathering of available data from which a timeline of adopted policies was derived. Results and discussion:Internationally, the universal right to education has been reinforced repeatedly and the values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have been reiterated with every reinforcement. Also, the additional support that a child with special education needs requires is acknowledged and measures are taken to facilitate access to any education for all children. There are slight cross-country differences between the countries under study, attributable to differences in national regulation of education. However, all countries have progressed to a state where the right to education for all children is integrated on a policy level and measures are taken to enable children with special needs to participate in education. Recently, an attempt to implement a form of inclusive education was made as a form of special needs provision. Nevertheless, nowhere has this been implemented successfully yet. Conclusion:The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a critical juncture in international policy and created an environment where the universal right to education has been implemented for all children in the countries under study