Promotion of family planning – and ensuring access
to preferred contraceptive methods for women and
couples – is essential to securing the well-being and
autonomy of women, while supporting the health
and development of communities.

*Preventing pregnancy-related health risks in
women:
A woman’s ability to choose if and when to become
pregnant has a direct impact on her health and
well-being. Family planning allows spacing of
pregnancies and can delay pregnancies in young
women at increased risk of health problems and
death from early childbearing, and can prevent
pregnancies among older women who also face
increased risks. Family planning enables women
who wish to limit the size of their families to do so.
Evidence suggests that women who have more
than four children are at increased risk of maternal
mortality.
By reducing rates of unintended pregnancies,
family planning also reduces the need for unsafe
abortion.

*Reducing infant mortality:
Family planning can prevent closely spaced and ill-
timed pregnancies and births, which contribute to
some of the world’s highest infant mortality rates.
Infants of mothers who die as a result of giving
birth also have a greater risk of death and poor
health.

*Helping to prevent HIV/AIDS:
Family planning reduces the risk of unintended
pregnancies among women living with HIV,
resulting in fewer infected babies and orphans. In
addition, male and female condoms provide dual
protection against unintended pregnancies and
against STIs including HIV.

*Empowering people and enhancing education:
Family planning enables people to make informed
choices about their sexual and reproductive health.
Family planning represents an opportunity for
women for enhanced education and participation in
public life, including paid employment in non-family
organizations. Additionally, having smaller families
allows parents to invest more in each child.
Children with fewer siblings tend to stay in school
longer than those with many siblings.

*Reducing adolescent pregnancies:
Pregnant adolescents are more likely to have
preterm or low birth-weight babies. Babies born to
adolescents have higher rates of neonatal mortality.
Many adolescent girls who become pregnant have
to leave school. This has long-term implications for
them as individuals, their families and
communities.

*Slowing population growth:
Family planning is key to slowing unsustainable
population growth and the resulting negative
impacts on the economy, environment, and
national and regional development efforts.