Family planning, abortion, and reproductive health comprise the broad and diverse area of fertility regulation. While techniques to regulate fertility have existed in varying forms for centuries, only relatively recently has such knowledge become “global.” The globalization of fertility regulation is inextricably tied with international political changes of the twentieth century, from the rising importance of the nation-state to the construction of intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations. This entry traces the economic, political, and ideological motivations that led to current conceptions of family planning, abortion, and reproductive health. It provides information on sources of data related to family planning, abortion, and reproductive health. It also discusses research on new reproductive technologies and defines some of the key differences across contemporary research questions and methods in this field.