New York Times: Pakistan, Let’s Talk About Sex
Mohammed Hanif, author

“…Pakistan’s population now exceeds 207 million, an increase of 57 percent since the last census in 1998. … Overpopulation will be a terrible strain on natural resources and state services. … Despite warnings about a population explosion, we still don’t talk about population control. Talking about population control might require talking about sex … — but ‘sex’ remains a dirty word. … The Pakistani government could have involved the clergy to dispel the common myth that contraception is somehow un-Islamic, but it hasn’t. … Pakistan could also have learned from its former sibling Bangladesh, which has had remarkable success at controlling its population by putting women at the center of door-to-door family planning efforts. … But following Bangladesh’s lead would require acknowledging that women need to be educated about what they can do to not make more babies, and in Pakistan we find it difficult to talk about women’s reproductive health, let alone their sex life…” (9/21).