Understanding health sector reforms and sexual and reproductive health services: a preliminary framework.

To understand the implications of health sector reforms for sexual and reproductive health services, there are three major dimensions to consider. The first two relate to the context in which health sector reforms are introduced: the characteristics of the health system, and that of reproductive and sexual health services located within it. The third dimension has to do with the content and scope of health sector reforms introduced into this context, and the actors and processes through which it is introduced. The content, scope, actors and processes have in turn to be located and understood within the larger geopolitical context and the position within it of the country under consideration.