State of World Population 2012 - UNFPA Haiti

Family planning programmes must reflect thereality that contraceptive use occurs in thecontext of sexual relationships. The familyplanning field has readily acknowledged theconnections between sexual and reproductivehealth, reproductive rights and sexuality.Research is needed to examine how the desirefor a satisfying sex life plays a part in shapingwomen’s and men’s views of family planning,their preferences for specific methods, and theirability to negotiate that use. Family planningprogrammes could more systematically recognizeand support their desire to maintain healthy,enjoyable sexual relationships.Family planning should be made availablewith abortion services where they are notagainst the law. Family planning shouldbe readily available to women who haverecently had abortions to enable them toavoid unplanned pregnancies in the future.Yet, family planning has often been separatedfrom abortion services where they are legal.The world is united in its concern aboutunsafe abortion, an important cause ofmaternal morbidity and mortality. Familyplanning makes a fundamental contributionto addressing this important public healthproblem by reducing unintended pregnancy.Ensuring access to emergency contraceptionis an essential part of fulfilling the right tofamily planning. The international communityneeds to emphasize the importance of accessto emergency contraception in cases of sexualviolence, as well as in contexts of armed conflictand humanitarian emergencies.Governments, international organizationsand civil society should track levels ofsatisfaction with the quality of availablecontraceptive methods and services, theimpact on health outcomes and the incidenceof adolescent pregnancy and the costsof unintended pregnancy. Internationaland non-governmental organizations andgovernments should consider adopting morerefined indicators of unmet need, such as the“proportion of demand satisfied,” which showsthe share of total demand for contraceptives thatis being fulfilled. Taken together, contraceptiveuse and unmet need only define the total levelof demand for family planning. Measuring“demand satisfied” serves as a proxy for whethera person’s stated desires regarding contraceptionare being fulfilled and is a more sensitivemeasure of the extent to which individuals,communities, and health systems supportpeople’s right to use family planning.2 Secure a central place forfamily planning in the post-2015 sustainable developmentframework, one that recognizes itscontributions to development andto breaking the cycle of povertyand inequality.Treat family planning not as a “specialty”topic within the health sector, but as one ofseveral key investments that contribute todevelopment. Family planning is a proven,sound economic investment that yieldsreturns to the individual, the household, thecommunity and the nation. The breadth andscale of the benefits to upholding the right tofamily planning suggest that family planningmay be among the most effective—and costeffective—interventionsfor human capitalaccumulation and poverty alleviation. Whengovernments ratify human rights treaties theyassume certain obligations to protect a wide100 CHAPTER 6: MAKING THE RIGHT TO FAMILY PLANNING UNIVERSAL