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Lack of reproductive health
Worldwide, more than 200 million women have
an ‘unmet need’ for modern contraception, in
that they say they want modern contraception but do not use it. In 2008, there were 75
million unintended pregnancies1 of which just
over half ended in induced abortions2. Lack of
reproductive health services results not only
in abortions and unplanned births but in high
levels of maternal and child mortality and of
pregnancy-related illness.
Despite its multiple benefits, aid for family planning declined1 from 8.2 percent to 3.2 percent
between 2000 and 2008 as a proportion of total
aid to health, an absolute decline. One reason
for this was that funding for HIV/AIDS was
increased 13-fold between 1995 and 2003.
Moreover, during the Bush Administration, US
commitment to programmes which would help
stabilise population was hampered by conservative policies seeking to promote “sexual
abstinence”. In particular, there was a ban on
funds for family planning and more general
‘reproductive health’ services that might be
suspected of supporting abortion facilities3.
In 2010, the UN, US and UK all pledged sharp
increases in the funding for reproductive
health programmes, with the UN announcing
a $40bn programme for improving the health
of women and children.
Unplanned pregnancies in the UK
Unplanned pregnancies are also an issue
in the UK and other developed countries,
albeit at a lower level. The UK has one of the
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL (MDG) 5b
This aims to provide universal access to reproductive health care by 20154.
Although more women are receiving antenatal care, the Millennium
Development Goals Report 2010 makes it clear that there is still a long way to
go before the aims are met:
Glossary
•
Inequalities in care during pregnancy are striking. Only one in three women
living in rural areas in developing regions receives the recommended level of
care during pregnancy.
•
Progress has stalled in reducing the number of teenage pregnancies.
•
Poverty and lack of education perpetuate high adolescent birth rates.
•
Progress in expanding the use of contraceptives by women has slowed.
•
Use of contraception is lowest among the poorest women and those with no
education.
•
Inadequate funding for family planning is a major failure in fulfilling
commitments to improving women’s reproductive health.
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Lack of reproductive health, contd.
highest rates of unplanned pregnancies in the
developed world and survey data and abortion rates suggest that the rate is significant
even amongst older women.
There could be a number of reasons for this.
One is the variable quality of Sexual and
Reproductive Health Education in Britain’s
schools, as noted by Ofsted, the National
Association of Head Teachers and the Youth
Parliament 5,6,7,8. Another is the relatively low
take-up by international standards of long
acting reversible contraceptives such as
implants, injections and intrauterine devices.
References
Internet references accessed 06/12/2010
1. Adding it Up, 2009 Guttmacher Institute http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/AddingItUp2009.pdf
2. Joseph Speidel et al, The Potential of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception to Decrease Unintended
Pregnancy, Contraception Editorial Sept 2008
http://www.arhp.org/publications-and-resources/contraception-journal/september-2008
3. Joseph Speidel, Population Issues and Answers, Presentation to the UK APPG Oral Hearing 7 June
26 2006
4. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG%20Report%202010%20En%20r15%20low%20res%2020100615%20-.pdf page 30
5. http://ofstednews.ofsted.gov.uk/article/395
6. http://ofstednews.ofsted.gov.uk/article/617
7. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/lack-of-confidence-is-harming-sexeducation-1958685.html
8. http://www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk/sre
Glossary
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© 2011 Population Matters