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Unintended pregnancy is defined as pregnancy in women who do not plan to have more (more) children. This includes pregnancies that occur earlier than expected. The report also states that more than 60% of unwanted pregnancies end in abortion. And 45% of abortions performed globally are unsafe. As a result, about 7 million women are hospitalized each year.

Up to 257 million women want to avoid pregnancy but do not use modern, safe methods of contraception. And about a quarter of all women can’t say no to sex.

A closer look at regional estimates reveals how far African countries are at preventing unwanted pregnancies and protecting the reproductive rights of women and girls. While the global rate of unintended pregnancy in Europe and North America is 35 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 49 years, in sub-Saharan Africa it is 91 per 1,000 women. In the area it oscillate from 49 in Niger to 145 in Uganda.

The causes of unwanted pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa are complex and operate at the individual, household, community and policy levels. Understanding them is critical to developing effective policies and interventions to reduce unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions in the region.

In my opinion, based on search done in several African countries, high percentage Adolescent fertility in Africa may be a major contributing factor to the marked regional variation reported.

Unintended pregnancy driver

At the individual level, poverty, lack of self-control and low educational attainment limit the access of women and girls to accurate contraceptive information and services. Some women and girls simply cannot afford contraceptives. In places where there are free birth control methods, some women lack precise knowledge about them and how they work.

In some institutions, religion is interpreted as prohibiting the use of contraceptive methods. They take advantage of religion to deny the accurate contraceptive information of young people. When women and girls do not have access to accurate contraceptive information and services, their risk of unintended pregnancy increases.

In one learn conducted by the Africa Center for Population and Health Research, teenage girls in Kenya told us they were pregnant because they were young and naive about relationships and contraception. Some of them had to trade sex for their basic needs. Others were sexually assaulted. Because they do not go to the clinic or do not know about the emergency contraceptive pill, they are very easy to get pregnant unexpectedly. Some dropped out of school.

At the household level, parents rarely communicate good information about birth control methods. When they talk about it, they focus on abstinence rather than contraception, and sometimes they use scare tactics. Another reason is that the family does not have enough financial support, pushing the girls into a situation transactional relationship.

Quality contraceptive services include sensitive and accurate counseling, multiple options, and well-trained providers. Search have shown that in communities where such services are available and accessible, more women and girls are able to plan their pregnancies.

However, many African communities are lacking in access to quality services. Inventory remains an issue for family planning programs. The COVID-19 pandemic has also disrupted the delivery of contraceptives and services.

Unintended pregnancy is higher in gender unequal communities and countries compared with more gender equal countries. Sociocultural norms sometimes discourage women and girls from making the choice to use contraception, including condoms.

Policy and legal constraints continue to limit access to comprehensive sex education and safe abortion in most African countries. Most African countries provide students with some sex education in response to the HIV pandemic. But what they offer is not comprehensive and is mainly based on abstinence.

The global gag rule reinstated by the Trump administration also restricted access to family planning. It is federal policy of the United States that prohibits foreign non-governmental organizations receiving U.S. international family planning assistance from using their own, non-U.S. funds to support abortion services. pregnancy in any way.

Many countries in Africa depend on funding for their family planning programs. The global gag rule means a significant reduction in funding for programs and clinics that provide access to contraception to millions of women in Africa. Some programs and clinics have had to close or downsize.

The roads ahead

The relationship between economic and social development and unwanted pregnancy goes both ways. When women and girls are not empowered or lack autonomy, they are less likely to use contraception. They are prone to unwanted pregnancies.

Unintended pregnancy, especially in young people, can be uncomfortable. It can prevent girls and young women from receiving the education and skills needed to improve their economic prospects and productivity. Breaking this cycle of unintended pregnancy early is crucial for realizing socioeconomic development in Africa.

Given the profound and lifelong effects of unintended pregnancy on women, families and society, decision-makers and health systems need to prioritize the prevention of unwanted pregnancy. This will lead to increased access to quality contraceptive services, especially in under-resourced settings, and expanded access to sexual and reproductive health information, especially especially for boys and girls.Conversation

Anthony Idowu AjayiAssociate Research Scientist, Africa Center for Population and Health Research

This article was republished from Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read original article.

© Inter Press Service (2022) – All rights reservedOrigin: Inter Press Service

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