Family Planning

Family planning allows women to have their desired number of children (if any) and to determine the spacing of their children. Delaying pregnancies in young girls who are at increased risk of health problems from early childbearing, and preventing pregnancies among older women who also face increased risks, are important health benefits of family planning. Contraception also reduces unsafe abortion by reducing rates of unwanted pregnancies. In all, prevention of unwanted pregnancies helps to lower maternal mortality.

 Contraception/family planning can also benefit the education of girls as they are no more likely to drop out of school following unwanted pregnancy. Unfortunately, according to WHO 2017 estimates, 214 million women of reproductive age in developing regions have an unmet need for contraception.

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