unmet need

Millions of women in Africa and throughout the developing world suffer and die needlessly from unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion. But even the best contraceptive and postabortion services are not enough to prevent this. A third component that is often stigmatized and neglected even in the context of reproductive health programs is safe, legal abortion.

Just weeks after publication of a major report underscoring the benefits of robust U.S. investment in family planning worldwide, the GOP-controlled House Foreign Affairs Committee voted in the early hours of the morning today to reinstate the Global Gag Rule with broader and more damaging implications than ever before.

Follow Jodi Jacobson on Twitter, @jljacobson

Today, there are over 200 million women in the developing world who want to prevent or delay pregnancy, but are not using any means of modern contraception. But the greatest tragedy is that this figure has not budged in nearly two decades.

Two new reports reveal growing gaps in access to reproductive health care for women, especially among poor women, and those living outside major urban areas, and high rates of maternal mortality throughout the country.

Follow Jodi Jacobson on Twitter, @jljacobson

 

 

 

Unmet need for contraception is high among older adolescents and young adults throughout the world, and most pronounced among young women 20 to 29 years of age. This gap should be filled through strategies that promote reproductive and sexual rights, while funding the essential services women need.