Since its inception, the World Contraception Day official motto has always stood as, “It’s Your Life, It’s Your Future.”
The coalition of international partner organizations behind this advocacy is dedicated to inspiring individuals across the world to incorporate contraception into their future plans, ultimately helping to prevent unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
World Contraception Day is celebrated annually on September 26—serving as an essential platform for raising awareness around universal reproductive health.
Sponsored by Bayer AG and with a host of involved campaigns and partnerships including the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition among many others, World Contraception Day aims to empower individuals with a wealth of knowledge to encourage better health outcomes and more informed choices surrounding reproduction.
This year’s theme : “A choice for all. Freedom to plan, power to choose.”
The theme emphasizes that everyone should have the right to safeguard their reproductive health and accordingly plan their families. Access to contraception is essential for bodily autonomy; it also plays a crucial role in reducing adolescent births, preventing maternal deaths and promoting gender equality.
Established in 2007, World Contraception Day was founded by a group of ten family planning agencies across the globe with the goal of empowering individuals in their reproductive choices, as well as amplifying the significance of contraceptive options to reduce the rate of unplanned pregnancies.
During the early 2000s, a growing acknowledgement of reproductive health became apparent, sparking the demand for accessible contraception. It wasn’t until 1999 when the FDA first approved Plan B for emergency contraception, while the early 2000s saw a variety of birth control options become approved by the FDA. Among some of the contraception approvals that the decade saw was the first birth control patch (Ortho Evra) and birth control implant (Implanon).
Today, efforts have been made toward making more diverse contraception options available. In light of World Contraception Day, the Global Health Technologies Coalition spotlights several emerging technological solutions on the horizon that could bring easier access to contraception to individuals in under-resourced communities.
Some forms of future contraception options could include biodegradable implants, microneedle patches, and long acting injectables. However, with all of the new approaches to contraception choices, there still lies a great divide between accessibility to them.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, “nearly 257 million women worldwide—most of whom live in low-income and middle-income countries—have an unmet need for modern contraception, which increases their vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections.” This gap in access to contraception continues to disrupt the ability for individuals to aptly plan their own future.
In an effort to provide educational resources to underserved communities, Bayer celebrated World Contraception Day in 2023 with an event in Kenya, emphasizing the awareness of available contraception options.
The target audience for the event aimed to include youth, women of reproductive age and their male partners. During the event, over 600 community members benefited from information drives and more than 500 of the community women were given access to contraceptive services.
In addition, over 150 male partners took part in discussions on the role of men towards supporting their partners in accessing contraceptive services.
While the major challenges related to unplanned pregnancies and STIs differ from region to region, the World Contraception Day Coalition identifies the following four essential areas for global development:
- Expanding age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education and information for young people.
- Enhancing access to youth-friendly reproductive health services, including contraception.
- Tackling cultural taboos related to youth and sexuality.
- Addressing gender inequality.
With all this in mind, World Contraception Day serves as a critical reminder of the importance of reproductive health and the necessity for informed choices regarding contraception. By continuing to raise awareness and improve access to different forms of contraception, we can simultaneously empower individuals in their freedom to choose what best works for their lives.
As the world observes this day each year, it is important to recognize both the historical progress made in the realm of birth control and the challenges that still remain in ensuring that everyone has the knowledge and resources to make well-informed reproductive choices.
