Condom Technology and UN MDG for Maternal Health
This paper examines the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of improving maternal health through the lens of technological innovation. Focusing on advances in condom design by the company L. Condoms, the paper argues that improved contraceptive technology can reduce pregnancy rates, limit STD transmission, and support women's empowerment in the developing world. It also analyzes the political, cultural, and infrastructural barriers — including limited healthcare access, female illiteracy, religious opposition, and gender inequality in politics — that prevent women from fully benefiting from such technologies. The paper concludes that equitable access to contraception is essential to achieving global social justice for women.
- Introduction: Maternal Health as a Millennium Development Goal: UN MDG 5 and women's health defined
- Condom Technology as a Tool for Meeting the MDG: Improved condom design for the developing world
- Political and Cultural Barriers to Contraceptive Access: Political, cultural, and infrastructural obstacles to contraception
- Global Integration and Social Justice Through Contraceptive Equity: Contraceptive equity as global women's rights issue
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What makes this paper effective
- Directly connects a concrete technological artifact (improved condom design) to a specific UN policy goal, grounding the argument in a real-world example.
- Balances optimism about technology with an honest analysis of political and cultural obstacles, avoiding a one-sided treatment of the issue.
- Draws on a mix of UN fact sheets, peer-reviewed research, and science journalism to support its claims, demonstrating source diversity appropriate for the topic.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper uses a problem-solution-complication structure: it identifies an MDG, proposes a technological solution, and then critically examines the non-technological barriers that limit that solution's impact. This technique — acknowledging counter-pressures after proposing a solution — adds intellectual depth and reflects nuanced analytical thinking.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized around four analytical questions that move from identification (what is the MDG?) to description (what is the technology?) to critique (what are the political barriers?) to synthesis (how does meeting the MDG integrate the global world?). Each section builds on the previous, creating a logical progression from macro policy to ground-level obstacles to broader implications for global equity.
Introduction: Maternal Health as a Millennium Development Goal
One of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) established by the United Nations is to improve maternal health. This goal does not simply encompass reducing childhood mortality rates; it also means increasing access to contraception and other aspects of women's health, such as sanitary products, women-specific healthcare, and education. Increased levels of education have been linked to lower birthrates and to the improved status of women ("Goal 5," 2015; Martin & Juarez, 1995).
Condom Technology as a Tool for Meeting the MDG
One technological artifact that could have a major impact on women's lives is the condom. Condoms can serve as an effective form of birth control when used correctly and are also extremely helpful in preventing the transmission of STDs. A company called L. Condoms has been specifically created to improve condom design and to expand distribution in the developing world. The new condoms feature lubricants that reduce the likelihood of causing urinary tract infections and use safe, minimally impactful packaging (Gannon, 2014). This kind of targeted reproductive technology innovation is designed with the particular needs and constraints of developing-world users in mind.
Political and Cultural Barriers to Contraceptive Access
Even where the technology exists to make condom use more effective for people in the developing world, a number of political factors impede full utilization. The first and most fundamental of these is access to health services in general, which can be extremely difficult to obtain for poor women living in rural areas. Female literacy and access to education can also be a barrier, since women may have limited knowledge of the types of birth control available to them.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 222 million women in developing countries have unmet contraceptive needs. This definition of unmet needs includes: a limited selection of contraception methods; restricted physical access; lack of access to devices free from significant side effects; cultural or religious barriers (such as husbands who refuse to wear condoms, the threat of rape, or Catholic opposition to birth control as a matter of doctrine); a lack of medical services; and discrimination against women ("Family planning," 2013). Women's underrepresentation in politics generally makes this a low priority for policymakers. An estimated 53% of women of reproductive age in Africa lack access to contraception ("Family planning," 2013).
References
Family planning. (2013). UN Fact sheet. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs351/en/
Gannon, K. (2014). A new condom to keep the developing world having safe sex. Fast Company. Retrieved from
Goal 5: Improve maternal health. (2014). United Nations. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/maternal.shtml
Martin, T., & Juarez, F. (1995). The impact of women's education on fertility in Latin America: searching for explanations. International Family Planning Perspectives, 21, 52–57 & 80. Retrieved from http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2105295.html
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