Recent news
May 2011
Increased investments needed to develop new contraceptive options, study finds
May 13, 2011 -- New contraceptive methods are needed for women in developing countries whose needs for modern birth control are not being met, a new study from the Guttmacher Institute has found. According to the report, seven out of 10 women in sub-Saharan Africa, South Central Asia and Southeast Asia who want to avoid pregnancy but are not using modern contraceptives report reasons for nonuse that indicate currently available methods do not meet their needs. The findings suggest that reducing unintended pregnancy rates in these regions will require increased investment in research and development (R&D) for new methods that better address women’s concerns and circumstances.
“The findings make clear that meeting the need for contraception requires not only increased access and counseling, but the development of new methods that better meet women’s needs,” said Jacqueline E Darroch, senior fellow at the Guttmacher Institute and one of the study’s authors. Currently, 104 million women in sub-Saharan Africa, South Central Asia and Southeast Asia have an unmet need for modern contraceptive methods. Taking into account projected population growth, this number will increase to 161 million in the next four decades if concerns about currently available methods are not addressed. The Guttmacher study also notes that there has been a lack of attention and resources dedicated to contraceptive R&D, and that there is a vital need to reinvigorate the field. See the links below for more information.
