Chapter 4
Contraception
Contraception has clear health benefits. Prevention of unintended pregnancies decreases maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, increases educational attainment, decreases poverty, and supports individuals to take control of their sexuality, health, and reproduction. Some contraceptives also offer direct health benefits by treating certain medical conditions and decreasing the risk of some cancers. However, unmet need for contraception remains high in many settings, particularly for marginalized populations such as young people, those in hard-to-reach geographic areas, mobile and internally displaced people, people living with HIV, disabilities, or in poverty, and other under-served groups.
Timely and affordable access to good-quality sexual and reproductive health information and care, delivered in a way that ensures fully informed decision-making, respects dignity, autonomy, privacy, and confidentiality, and is sensitive to individuals’ needs and perspectives are key to the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s (IPPF) approach to meeting the sexual and reproductive healthcare needs of all people. The creation of structures that enable all people to access high-quality, rights-based contraception has far-reaching consequences that impact beyond the benefits of personal well-being. This chapter provides accurate, up-to-date, and evidence-based information on contraception and contraceptive counselling to support healthcare providers to deliver high-quality, clientcentred contraceptive care.
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