Contraceptive Implants Are Driving Big Gains in Access to Family Planning

July 10, 2018On the road to universal access to family planning, what really gets results? And what ' s  next?Today, nearly two-thirds of all married or in-union women (64%) worldwide are using contraception,according to the United Nations—from 36% in 1970. And sexually active unmarried women are also using contraception at high rates.The right of women and men to freely plan the number and spacing of their children continues to be auniversally recognized human right. And voluntary family planning —with access to a wide range of contraceptive method options, competent service providers, and supportive health systems—is how women and men can exercise this right and protect their family’s health and well-being.As we celebrateWorld Population Day 2018, let ’s look at what the international community has achieved on the road to making universal access to family planning information, methods, and services a reality—and what new prospects are around the corner.Recent successesThe number and proportion of people using modern methods of contraception (as measured by the contraceptive prevalence rate, or mCPR), has been rising rapidly in many low- and middle-income countries, especially in Africa, the region with the lowest levels of contraceptive use. And previously underserved groups, including poor women, women in rural areas, unmarried women, and youth, are gaining greater access to family planning services and using them more than ever.These findings stood out in Int...
Source: IntraHealth International - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: news