Why get involved in international family planning?
Most Americans take family planning for granted. We know what a difference it makes in our lives to be able to decide when and how many children to have. But for hundreds of millions of people in developing countries, family planning is both a luxury and a dream. So let’s dream with them – and work together so that this basic right is a reality for everyone! If everyone who family planning was able to use it, we could: • Save women’s lives: each year, more than 500,000 women worldwide die during pregnancy or childbirth. Thirteen percent of these deaths result from unsafe abortions. With greater access to contraception, unwanted pregnancies and maternal deaths can be greatly reduced. • Reduce poverty: smaller families mean that parents can invest more in each child: nutrition and health care can improve, more children can go to school and stay in school – especially girls. Families can begin to break out of the cycle of poverty. • Reduce environmental strain: population growth can put a
