Contraception and low income

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Oumar Moudarrisse Ahidjo , 6th year medical student faculty of medicine of Garoua , Cameroon. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Every day, vulnerable women, particularly those who are poor and refugees, confront social, economic, and geographic barriers to voluntary family planning services and information. Despite significant advances, massive obstacles persist, with over 214 million women in underdeveloped countries without safe and effective family planning techniques thus contraception. The majority of these women live in the 69 poorest countries. Meeting this unmet demand will save lives by preventing 67 million unwanted births and decreasing the estimated 303,000 maternal deaths each year by one-third.

The use of contraception is therefore crucial to reaching Sustainable Development Goal 1, which is to reduce poverty, also Important in attaining other goals such as, fostering good health, and gender equality 

The use of services for maternal and child health care is directly impacted by women’s empowerment. Given the nature of empowering processes in relation to gains in maternal health status, large-scale assessment of contraceptive usage in multiple dimensions is crucial to make a significant intervention in low-income countries

Contraception, also known as “birth control,” is “any method, medicine, or device used to prevent pregnancy,” as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Traditional methods that are considered unreliable, such as withdrawal or monitoring a woman’s menstrual cycle, are different from modern methods such as hormonal contraception, emergency contraception pill, condoms and intrauterine devices.

According to WHO  2023 estimates, 257 millions women of reproductive age have an unmet need for contraception

Access to contraception :  key to women’s empowerment in low-income countries

Lack of access to contraception undermines the empowerment of women in low-income nation, On the other  hand, access to contraception guarantees everyone the right to freely dispose of their body. The prevention of unintended pregnancies helps to lower maternal ill-health and the number of pregnancy-related deaths.

 Delaying pregnancies in young girls who are at increased risk of health problems from early childbearing, and preventing pregnancies among older women who also face increased risks, are important health benefits of family planning.  

By reducing rates of unintended pregnancies, contraception also reduces the need for unsafe abortion and reduces HIV transmissions. This can also benefit the education of girls and create opportunities for women to participate more fully in society, including paid employment.

A study realizes in Sub-Saharan Africa suggest that an increase in contraceptive use and by better extension maternal health care services utilization can be achieved by enhancing women’s empowerment.

Also, an increase in decision-making autonomy by women, their participation in labour force, reduction in abuse and violence and improved knowledge level are all key issues to be considered.

Health-related policies should address inequalities in women’s empowerment, education and economic status which would yield benefits to individuals, families, and societies in general.

References 

1.Sarah E. K. Bradley  , Tess Shiras.Where Women Access Contraception in 36 Low- and Middle-Income Countries and Why It Matters. Glob health sci pract.2022 Jun 29.

2.Sanni Yaya,  Olalekan A. Uthman,  Michael Ekholuenetale,  Ghose Bishwajit. Women empowerment as an enabling factor of contraceptive use in sub-Saharan Africa: a multilevel analysis of cross-sectional surveys of 32 countries. Reproductive health . 20 December 2018.

3. The access to contraception arround the world: situational analysis and current challenges  ;published 6march 2024 in FACTS AND FIGURES

About the author

Oumar Moudarrisse Ahidjo , 6th year medical student faculty of medicine of Garoua , Cameroon. The vice president of cameroon medical student association afiliated to IFMSA , aspires to be a researcher one day