The September 2012 special issue of International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health is now available

The September 2012 special issue of International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health is now available online. The articles focus on abortion, providing evidence on ways to reduce its incidence, as well as the health toll of unsafe abortions. Click here to find out what is in this issue.

Women use contraception to better achieve their life goals

Mark Bowden/iStockphotoA new study confirms what many have long believed to be true: women use contraception because it allows them to better care for themselves and their families, complete their education and achieve economic security. These findings further document the value of ensuring women’s continued and increased access to a full range of contraceptive services and methods…more

Also see our video on the benefits of contraceptive use in the United States in English and Spanish.

Contraception editorial analyzes impact of Supreme Court’s ACA decision on reproductive health

The U.S. Supreme Court's June 28 ruling upholding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) helps ensure that tens of millions of Americans will be able to receive comprehensive health coverage, including strong coverage of reproductive health services (with the notable exception of abortion). However, the Court’s ruling that states cannot be compelled to go along with the ACA's Medicaid expansion potentially jeopardizes coverage for millions of the poorest Americans. Beyond the uncertainty surrounding Medicaid, additional legal, political and technical challenges loom large, according to a Guttmacher editorial in the journal Contraception...more

The September 2012 issue of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health is now available

The September 2012 issue of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health is now available online. Click here to find out what is in this issue.

Improving contraceptive services in Ethiopia would save lives and reduce health care costs

© Michael Bailey, courtesy PhotoshareThe first national estimate of the direct cost of treating postabortion complications in Ethiopia shows the country spent US$7.6 million in 2008 to provide postabortion care, an average of $36 per woman treated. The study, conducted by the Guttmacher Institute, found that every dollar spent on family planning services would save $6 in postabortion care services…more

September 2012 special supplement to the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics

To help bring together the most recent research on the consequences of unsafe abortion, the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics published a special supplement to their September 2012 issue, edited by Susheela Singh, of the Guttmacher Institute, and members of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population panel on abortion research. The supplement examines morbidity and mortality; costs to health systems, women and families; and the social consequences of unsafe abortion. Click here to find out what is in this issue.

New Video: Benefits of Contraceptive Use in the United States

Contraception is basic preventive health care for women—a simple truth that is too often lost in our political discourse. This video puts key facts front and center: Proper timing and spacing of births leads to healthier pregnancies; contraception, when used consistently, is highly effective; and cost can be a barrier to a woman using the contraceptive method that’s right for her...more

En español: A Spanish version of this video and accompanying summary of key points is now available…more

Full video transcripts are available in English and Spanish.

Most women seeking abortions experienced disruptive life events in the previous year

A new study finds that more than half of women who obtained abortions in 2008 had experienced at least one disruptive life event—such as unemployment, separation from a partner, falling behind on rent or mortgage or having moved multiple times—in the 12 months preceding the abortion. A higher proportion of poor than better-off women reported such events. Additionally, women reported in in-depth interviews that life disruptions had interfered with their contraceptive use…more.

London summit gives major boost to family planning effort in poorest countries

Significant new financial pledges and other promises made at the groundbreaking Family Planning Summit held July 11 in London could have a major impact on the lives of women and girls for years to come. Going forward, the challenge for all stakeholders will be to ensure that financial pledges made by donors and developing country governments materialize and that individual women’s needs and rights remain at the core of the implementation phase...more

Debunking a critique of Guttmacher’s methodology to estimate unsafe abortion

In May 2012, Elard Koch, of Chile’s Catholic University of the Most Holy Conception, and colleagues published a critique of a methodology developed by the Guttmacher Institute to estimate the number and rate of induced abortions and complications resulting from unsafe abortions in countries where the procedure is highly restricted. However, their critique is characterized by pervasive distortions of Guttmacher’s methodology and the alternative methodology they propose is based on scientifically unsound assumptions and contains such serious errors that its results are not valid.
Read a summary (English) (Spanish) and our full rebuttal (English) (Spanish).

Use of the most effective contraceptive methods increases

© Grady ReeseThe proportion of women using highly effective reversible contraceptive methods—namely the IUD and implant—increased substantially, from 2.4% in 2002 to 8.5% in 2009. However, use of these methods remains low among young women and women who have not yet had children—groups at high risk of unintended pregnancy…more

For indigenous women in Guatemala, language a major barrier to obtaining pregnancy-related services and contraceptives

© Anthony Asael/Art in All of Us/CorbisIn Guatemala, health disparities between ladinas—Spanish-speaking women of mixed Spanish and indigenous heritage—and indigenous women are among the largest in Latin America. Now, a new study on the use of pregnancy-related services and modern contraceptives finds wide difference between the two groups and researchers found that lack of fluency in Spanish was the greatest factors in limiting indigenous women’s access…more

Little progress made in meeting demand for contraception in the developing world

©WorldViewImages.comA new study by the Guttmacher Institute and the United Nations Population Fund finds that the number of women in developing countries who want to avoid pregnancy but are not using modern contraceptives declined only slightly between 2008 and 2012. However, in the 69 poorest countries—where 73% of all women with unmet need for modern contraceptives reside—the number actually increased, from 153 million to 162 million women. The report also documents the dramatic benefits that would result if the demand for modern contraception were met...more

Importance of Medicaid-funded family planning services in each state detailed in new fact sheets

Medicaid, the public insurance program for poor and low-income Americans, has become the central pillar of the U.S. family planning effort, accounting for 75% ($1.8 billion) of all public family planning spending. New Guttmacher Institute fact sheets offer a comprehensive national primer and provide state-specific details on the reach and impact of Medicaid-supported family planning services…more

Unsafe abortion poses serious threat to Rwandan women’s health

Michael Hanson/National Geographic Society/
CorbisThe first national estimates of abortion incidence in Rwanda show that one in 40 women aged 15–44 had an abortion in 2009 and that virtually all of these abortions were clandestine procedures that were highly likely to be unsafe. The study, conducted by the National University of Rwanda’s School of Public Health and the U.S.-based Guttmacher Institute, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, found that an estimated 60,000 induced abortions occurred that year...more in English and French.

Teen pregnancy at lowest level in nearly 40 years

© Kristian SekulicTeen pregnancies have declined dramatically in the United States, as have the births and abortions that result. In 2008, the teen pregnancy rate stood at 67.8 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15–19, which was the lowest rate ever recorded, and 42% below the peak of 116.9 per 1,000 in 1990...more

Are you IN THE KNOW?

The Guttmacher Institute is pleased to launch Are you IN THE KNOW?, a new set of resources designed to inform a broad range of audiences about contraception, pregnancy, abortion and teen health in a simple, compelling and fun format. The Institute has long worked to increase public awareness about sexual and reproductive health issues and counter misinformation with sound scientific evidence. Are you IN THE KNOW? builds on those efforts by covering topics such as the frequency of premarital sex in America, the incidence of abortion in the United States and globally, and the many positive effects of comprehensive sexuality education, in an accessible way...more