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                    Poor Countries Lack Modern Contraception

   by Joe DeCapua

   A new study says little is being done to meet the growing demand for
   modern contraception methods in poor countries. The Guttmacher
   Institute says there's an increasing desire for smaller families.
   Guttmacher says between 2003 and 2012 the number of women wanting to
   avoid pregnancy - and in need of modern contraception - rose from 716
   million to 867 million. The sharpest increase was seen, it says, in the
   69 poorest countries "where modern method use was already very low."
   Senior fellow Jacqueline Darroch co-authored the study with Susheela
   Singh and published their findings in a special edition of The Lancet
   medical journal. Darroch said that the figures are based on household
   surveys.
   "The Guttmacher Institute for a long time has focused on issues of
   reproductive health and especially the high rates of unplanned child
   bearing and unplanned pregnancies across the world - the United States,
   as well as other countries. And part of the answer to both why we have
   such high rates of unintended pregnancy - and part of the solution -
   has to do with contraceptive use."
   She said between 2003 and 2012, overall modern contraceptive use in the
   developing world increased from 71 to 74 percent among women wanting to
   avoid pregnancy.
   "Methods ranging from condoms to pills, implants, injections, IUD's,
   sterilization," Darroch said.
   However, rates can vary across sub-regions. For example, Eastern Africa
   rose from 31 to 46 percent; Southern Africa from 75 to 83 percent;
   Southeast Asia increased from 64 to 72 percent; and South America from
   73 to 79 percent.
   However, there was virtually no increase reported in mid and western
   African countries. Darroch said that has consequences.
   "Couples are having children more than they want to. They are having
   what we call unintended births - births, that they tells us in surveys,
   that they either wanted later or they didn't want to have at all. So
   there's difficulty controlling fertility."
   Some couples, she said, are turning to induced abortions in unsafe
   conditions that can lead to maiming or death.
   "The timing and the number of children and how you control that affects
   women's health by preventing pregnancies when they're most risky - when
   women are very young or older - by preventing the deaths and disability
   from pregnancy itself, as well as for newborns. In today's societies,
   smaller families tend to do better off economically in terms of the
   resources that families are able to use for their children."
   Darroch added that modern contraception allows women a greater
   opportunity to have an education.
   Some of the reasons given for the lack of modern contraception in
   developing countries include little availability or cost, concern about
   possible side effects, and a spouse's disapproval over their use.
   The Guttmacher report recommends making the quality of services a
   priority, along with educating couples so they can make informed
   choices about contraception.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/contraception-poo-countries-20may13/1
   664256.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/contraception-poo-countries-20may13/1664256.html