Young People's Sexual and Reproductive Health in the Middle East and North Africa

 In the Middle East and North Africa, the risks associated with sexual relationships, both married and unmarried, are heightened by young people's lack of access to information and services related to sexual and reproductive health. Programs that provide such information and services would benefit young people whether they are sexually active now or not, preparing them to make more informed decisions about marriage, sexual relationships, and childbearing.(April 2007)

Female Genital Cutting: Current Status and Trends
Although many governments have passed laws against female genital cutting, the practice is still widespread in many countries. More than seven in 10 women have undergone the procedure in Mauritania, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Northern Sudan, Eritrea, Mali, Egypt, and Guinea. (February 2007)

Time to Intervene: Preventing the Spread of HIV/AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa

 This policy brief helps raise awareness among decisionmakers in the Middle East and North Africa about the urgent need for action by presenting some HIV/AIDS warning signs, risks, and vulnerabilities in the region. The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in MENA is low but increasing in every country in the region. This policy brief is also available in Arabic. (February 2007)

2006 World Population Data Sheet

 PRB's 2006 World Population Data Sheet contains the latest population estimates, projections, and other key indicators for more than 200 countries, including births, deaths, natural increase, infant mortality, life expectancy, urban population, HIV/AIDS prevalence, contraceptive use, land area, percent of population living below $2/day, and population per square mile. New for the 2006 Data Sheet are data on net migration rates, percent of surface area protected, and population with access to improved sanitation. (August 2006)

A First Glimpse at the 2004 Palestinian Demographic and Health Survey
The population of Palestine is currently growing at a rate of 3.4 percent per year—a rate of natural increase that is among the highest in the world. The latest Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), conducted in Palestine in 2004, shows that this high rate of growth is likely to continue—adding to development challenges of the territories, which for years have been plagued with conflicts, economic stagnation, and high unemployment. (May 2006)

Fertility Decline and Reproductive Health in Morocco: New DHS Figures
The "fertility transition"—the shift from large to small families that demographers have observed throughout much of the world—has been remarkably rapid in Morocco. But the country still faces many challenges regarding women and reproductive health, including limited contraceptive options, disparities between rich and poor in access to contraception, and a need to translate revised family laws into practical legal progress for women. (May 2006)

Gender and Equity in Access to Health Care Services in the Middle East and North Africa
A pervasive culture of silence influences the way women in the region perceive their bodies and their health. And this culture also circumscribes their "health-seeking behaviors"—whether and where they look for health services. (April 2006)

PRB-UNFPA Country Profiles for Population and Reproductive Health 2005
PRB and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have jointly published the Country Profiles for Population and Reproductive Health: Policy Developments and Indicators 2005. The volume, which updates the 2003 edition, contains national and subnational indicators on the demographic and social situation in 163 countries and subregions. (March 2006)

The World's Youth 2006 Data Sheet

 While girls and boys are enrolling in secondary school in record numbers and early marriage is on the decline, many young people across the world still face daunting threats to their well-being—from sexually transmitted infections to complications from smoking. (February 2006)

Reforming Family Laws to Promote Progress in the Middle East and North Africa

 Morocco recently adopted an entirely new family law that is consistent with the spirit of Islam, yet based on equal rights for both men and women. This policy brief is also available in Arabic. (February 2006)