Contraception allows women to choose the number and spacing of their children. Female sterilization and intrauterine devices (IUDs) account for almost 40 percent in less developed countries, and combined oral contraceptive pills (COC), IUDs, and condoms for the same proportion in more developed countries. Contraception remains one of the most cost-effective public health measures to reduce rates of maternal and infant mortality.

In 2008, modern contraception prevented about 188 million unintended pregnancies, 1.2 million newborn deaths, and 230,000 pregnancy related deaths. An unmet need for family planning of an estimated 215 million women of reproductive age who want to avoid or postpone childbearing still exists because they are not using effective contraceptive methods. There are several reasons for this, including lack of knowledge about the risk ...