Moises Russo's blog

The Archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz, shared his thoughts on sexual and reproductive rights in a recent interview with the most important and conservative Chilean newspaper.

Latin America has been consistently reducing its fertility rates during the past decades. Moises Russo explains how countries should take advantage of demographic momentum.

Moises Russo defends the World Health Organization's new recommendations for HIV testing, moving from the current "opt-in" HIV testing model to the "opt-out" HIV testing model.

Politicians around the world compromise science and the health of many in order to gain power. The Democrats' increasing funding for abstinence-only programs is just the most recent example.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation is taking the lead in incorporating youth participation—which is critical to sexual and reproductive health, particularly the prevention of HIV.

Brazil recently stood up to the pharmaceutical company Merck by dismissing the patent for Efavirenz in order to continue to be able to provide this antiretroviral drugs to all HIV-positive people in Brazil for free.

As HIV continues to spread, the search for new and effective methods of prevention continues. Male circumcision is one of the proposed strategies, and shows potential in countries where circumcision rates are low and HIV prevalence is high.

After years of advocacy from human rights organizations and feminist groups, a bill that would make abortion legal on request for any woman in Mexico City during the first trimester of pregnancy is scheduled for a vote soon by the state legislature of Mexico City. With a population of over 8 million people, the new law will make Mexico one of the most progressive countries in Latin America regarding abortion laws. The only other countries in the region that have liberal abortion laws are Puerto Rico, Cuba and Guyana

Editor's note: Today we welcome Dr. Moisés Russo, writing from Chile. He has experience in healthcare and bioethics, and will be reporting on reproductive health in South America.

Is not Chile the country in Latina America that sets an example of a working democracy after a military regime? Isn't Chile the country where the government and opposition coalitions have provided stability for the past 16 years? Perhaps it is, although we may realize today that the price for stability that Chilean parliamentarians are willing to pay is far too much: women's lives.