About World Contraception Day Media backgrounder: Your Options It s Your Life, It s Your Future, Know Your Options. ABOUT WORLD CONTRACEPTION DAY (WCD) World Contraception Day takes place on September 26 every year. The annual worldwide campaign centers around a vision for a world where every pregnancy is wanted Launched in 2007, WCD s mission is to improve awareness of all contraceptive methods to enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health Worldwide, more than 41% of the 208 million pregnancies that occur each year are unintended 1 Under the motto It s Your Life, It s Your Future, Know Your Options WCD empowers young people with information about sex and contraception An informed person is an independent person. Young people who know the facts about contraception are empowered to prevent an unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) and focus on their goals and aspirations By learning about all contraceptive options now, young people will be fully prepared to effectively use the right contraception for them when they decide to have sex Myths and misconceptions about sex and contraception are widespread so it important that young people learn from reliable, unbiased sources of information The WCD website, www.your-life.com, contains accurate and unbiased information on contraception to help young people, in discussion with their healthcare professional, choose which option is right for them WCD delivers the following information to young people. It s Your Life, It s Your Future, Know Your Options. Choose your path in life. Build contraception into your plans for the future to prevent an unplanned pregnancy
Information means independence. Know the facts about contraception so that you can prevent an unplanned pregnancy and focus on achieving your goals Contraception should not be a last-minute choice, but an informed decision. Learn about all contraceptive options and talk to your partner and healthcare provider about choosing the best contraceptive option for you Get your facts straight. Myths and misconceptions about sex, contraception and how pregnancies happen are everywhere. Challenge what you ve heard, use a reliable source of information and talk to your healthcare provider to sort fact from fiction Talk to your healthcare provider and visit the WCD website, www.your-life.com, for help with deciding on the best contraceptive option for you For protection against STIs as well as unplanned pregnancy, use a condom in addition to another contraceptive option INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR WCD Around 70 countries are expected to participate in World Contraception Day WCD is supported by a coalition of 11 international NGOs and scientific and medical societies with an interest in sexual and reproductive health and is sponsored by Bayer HealthCare. The NGOs and GO involved in WCD are: o Asian Pacific Council on Contraception (APCOC) o Centro Latinamericano Salud y Mujer (CELSAM) o European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health (ESC) o DSW (Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevölkerung) o International Federation of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (FIGIJ) o International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) o Marie Stopes International (MSI) o Population Services International (PSI) o The Population Council o The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) o Women Deliver (WD) World Contraception Day is a long-term initiative which highlights and addresses the different contraceptive needs of women and men throughout their lives For more information on the WCD campaign, please go to the WCD website, www.your- Life.com, which provides information on a variety of topics including sex and contraception
BAYER S COMMITMENT TO SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH Bayer HealthCare is committed to supporting World Contraception Day to improve the level of education on sexual and reproductive health Bayer HealthCare has a long history in women s health and is committed to improving education on sexual and reproductive health THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES AND STIS Incidence of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections Worldwide, more than 41% of the 208 million pregnancies that occur each year are unplanned 1 Every year, up to 16 million adolescent females aged 15 to 19 give birth. In this age group, pregnancy-related deaths are the leading cause of mortality for young women 2 Each year, contraception prevents 188 million unplanned pregnancies which results in 112 million fewer abortions, 1.1 million fewer newborn deaths and 150,000 fewer maternal deaths 3 More than half of all women of reproductive age in developing countries, approximately 867 million, want to avoid pregnancy. In this region, a total of 222 million women have an unmet need for modern contraception 3 If unmet need for contraception was fully satisfied, 53 million more unplanned pregnancies could be prevented every year 4 In 2011, teenagers in the United States and United Kingdom were over six times more likely to give birth than teenagers in the Netherlands 5 More than 1 million people acquire a sexually transmitted infection every day. Each year, an estimated 500 million people acquire one of four sexually transmitted infections: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. This does not include HIV and other STIs which continue to adversely affect the lives of individuals and communities worldwide 6 STIs disproportionately affect women and adolescent girls. One in 20 adolescent girls get a bacterial infection through sexual contact every year and the age at which infections are acquired is getting younger 7 Young adults (15-24 years old) make up only 25% of the sexually active population, but represent almost 50% of all new acquired sexually transmitted diseases 8
Impact of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections Unplanned pregnancies constitute a global problem associated with substantial costs to health and social services and emotional distress to women, their families and society 9 Children born to teenage mothers are much more likely to experience a range of negative outcomes in later life, such as developmental disabilities, behavioral issues and poor academic performance 10 The 1990s witnessed significant gains in access to reproductive health and family planning, but in many less developed countries (LDCs), particularly from Africa, the progress has come to a stand-still since about 2000 11 Investing in both family planning and maternal and newborn health services would save lives and $1.5 billion less than providing maternal and newborn services alone 12 Every 1 invested in contraception saves the UK National Health Service 11 plus additional welfare costs, which is a powerful economic argument for maintaining contraceptive services 13 Teen childbearing in the United States costs taxpayers (federal, state, and local) at least $9.4 billion annually 14 Young people s sexual behavior 44% of young people prioritize personal hygiene, including showering, waxing and applying perfume, above contraception when preparing for a date that may lead to sex 15 Studies show that young people do not consider the internet the most trustworthy source of information about contraception 16 Embarrassment is a key risk factor in young people's sexual behavior. This can mean that they resist seeking information and advice about sex and contraception 17 School-based sex education delays rather than hastens the onset of sexual activity 18
FACTS AROUND THE WCD THEME KNOW YOUR OPTIONS Figure 1 shows a comparison of the typical effectiveness of contraceptive methods 19 In the UK, the NHS offers 15 different methods of contraception with the pill and the condom being the preferred choices 20,21 Over 90% of people in the UK cannot name the 15 types of contraception options available to them 22 Nearly half of young women (44% of 16-24 year olds) are not aware they might not be using contraception that is the best fit for their age and lifestyle 22 Almost a quarter (23%) of young people admit they have unanswered questions about contraception and sexual health (female 23% and male 23%) 22 Nearly a quarter of people (23%) choose their contraception without asking for the options first (female 21% and male 28%) 22 HOW WILL WCD BE RECOGNIZED AROUND THE WORLD? A series of media events will be taking place in different countries around the world, as well as a variety of other local activities, including school / college and healthcare professional campaigns.
For more information on the WCD campaign, please contact us directly via the contact form at www.your-life.com and we d love to help. REFERENCES 1 Singh, S., et al. Unintended pregnancy: worldwide levels, trends, and outcomes. Stud Fam Plann (2010)41(4): 241-250 2 Blake, S., et al., Youth Guide for Action on Maternal Health, Women Deliver 2010 3 Darroch, J., et al. Trends in contraceptive need and use in developing countries in 2003, 2008, and 2012: an analysis of national surveys. The Lancet. 2013; 381(9879): 1756-1762 4 Every Woman, Every Child http://www.everywomaneverychild.org/resources/un-commission-on-lifesaving-commodities/life-saving-commodities/implants (Last accessed May 2014) 5 United Nations Statistics Division Child Bearing indicators, 2011. http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/socind/ (Last accessed May 2014) 6 WHO. Sexually transmitted infections. Factsheet n o 110, Updated November 2013. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs110/en/index.html (Last accessed May 2014) 7 WHO 10 facts on sexually transmitted infections, WHO Fact File http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/sexually_transmitted_diseases/facts/en/index2.html (Last accessed May 2014) 8 Ros et al., Global epidemiology of sexually transmitted diseases. Asian J Androl. 2008 Jan;10(1):110-4. 9 Mavranezouli I et al. Health economics of contraception. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2008;23:187-198 (Abstract Only) 10 Hofferth, S., et al. Early childbearing and Children s Achievement and Behavior Over Time. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 2002; 34(1): 41-49 11 Population Dynamics in the Least Developed Countries: Challenges and Opportunities for Development and Poverty Reduction, United Nations population fund, 2011 12 Alan Guttmacher Institute & IPPF, Facts on Investing in Family Planning and Maternal and Newborn Health, November 2010. 13 TEENAGE PREGNANCY INDEPENDENT ADVISORY GROUP FINAL REPORT, Teenage pregnancy: Past successes future challenges. 2010. https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eorderingdownload/past%20successes%20- %20future%20challenges.pdf (Last accessed May 2014) 14 NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT TEEN PREGNANCY, 2010 http://thenationalcampaign.org/why-it-matters/public-cost (Last accessed May 2014) 15 Bayer HealthCare. Data on file. Contraception: Whose responsibility is it anyway? Survey. Fieldwork carried out by GFK Healthcare. May 2010 16 Jones, R., et al, Teens Reflect on Their Sources of Contraceptive Information, Journal of Adolescent Research. 2011 17 Bell, J. Why embarrassment inhibits the acquisition and use of condoms: A qualitative approach to understanding risky sexual behavior, J Adolesc. 2009 Apr; 32(2):379-91. Epub 2008 Aug 8 (Abstract Only) 18 Wellings, K., et al, Sexual behavior in context: a global perspective. The Lancet Sexual and Reproductive Health Series, October 2006 19 Meet Your Options. WCD 2014. Adapted from 2012 WHO wall chart: http://www.fphandbook.org/sites/default/files/wallchart_english_2012.pdf (Last accessed August 2014) 20 http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception-guide/pages/contraception.aspx (last accessed May 2014) 21 http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relationships/facts/contraception_which.htm (Last accessed May 2014) 22 http://www.populus.co.uk/uploads/download_pdf-201209-blue-rubicon-making-talk-meaningful- October-2009.pdf (Last accessed May 2014) G.WH.07.2014.0060