In 2007, more than 6,800 people became infected with HIV every day, and new HIV infections outnumbered persons receiving treatment by nearly 3 to 1. Comprehensive HIV prevention-including both condoms and contraceptives-must become a top priority in the continued fight against HIV and AIDS. Because most HIV epidemics are fueled by sexual transmission of the virus, behavior change-including condom use-is critical to stemming the number of new infections.

The international community has repeatedly agreed to meet young people's developmental needs, including those relating to sexual and reproductive health. Yet young people often have little or no access to the information and services they need to make healthy, informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive lives.

Reproductive illnesses and unintended pregnancies undermine economic development by weakening and killing adults in the prime of their working lives, by disrupting and cutting short the lives of their children, and by placing heavy financial and social burdens on families. In most developing-country settings, much of the loss of life and human productivity that is due to poor reproductive health could be prevented with affordable and cost-effective programs.

Condoms Count, first published in 2002, tracks funding levels and the quantities of condoms provided to developing countries by donors, as part of its tracking of overall donor support to reproductive health programs and policies, including HIV prevention. This information is updated every two years in the form of supplemental data updates. The following are the highlights of the results of Condoms Count: 2006 Data Update.

Across the globe, adults wring their hands over the behavior of young people, yet are often unable to communicate effectively with them about their sexual and reproductive lives. Parents, teachers and other adults widely fail to prepare young people with the information, skills and resources needed to chart a steady, healthy course through the transition to adulthood. Parents' difficulties in managing their own sexuality, combined with cultural beliefs about parenting, sexuality, and gender all constrain their ability to prepare young people. Failing to provide critical information, skills and support to young people sends them out into the world inadequately prepared for life.

The Mexico City Policy, also known as the Global Gag Rule, was reinstated in 2001.It is a complicated policy for which explanations are rarely brief. Consequently, it is widely misunderstood and often over-interpreted. Anecdotal evidence from the field strongly suggests that the Global Gag Rule restrictions on U.S. family planning assistance are being mistakenly applied to other U.S.Agency for International Development (USAID) accounts,especially U.S. assistance for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care.

Assessment of the progress nations have made towards achieving the goals set by the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994. The ICPD examined the social context of population growth and size by focusing on the reproductive health and rights of women and men.

There are more than 100 million women and girls alive today who are affected by FGM, the vast majority of them in Africa. Some also live in parts of the Middle East and Asia. With migration, affected women and girls now also live in the United States, Europe and, presumably, other parts of the world.