The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended, says UN Population Fund
Nearly a quarter of all women are effectively forced to have sex and nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended globally, new data from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) indicated on Wednesday.
“Today, in countries where data is available, nearly a quarter of all women are unable to say no to sex. Nearly a quarter of women are unable to make decisions about their own health care. Nearly 10 per cent are unable to make decisions about contraception,” said UNFPA Geneva Director, Monica Ferro.
She added that “of all pregnancies in the world, nearly half – half - are unintended. For the women and girls affected, the most life-altering reproductive choice – whether or not to become pregnant – is no choice at all”.
For the UNFPA, the problem is closely linked to a lack of development, gender inequality and stigma, among many other factors.
“It is a development issue,” Ms. Ferro insisted. “While every country continues to experience unacceptably high rates of unintended pregnancy, we see strong correlations between rates of unintended pregnancy and lack of development.”
The UNFPA’s State of the World Population 2022 report also highlights how the crisis in Ukraine prompted by Russia’s invasion on 24 February and other conflicts are expected to drive an increase in unintended pregnancy.
“We are that foreseeing that 265,000 women are pregnant in Ukraine and in next three months 80,000 will give birth” - many without access to critical maternal health care - said Ms. Ferro, her comments coming after the targeting of a maternity hospital in the stricken coastal city of Mariupol earlier this month.
As part of the UN’s response, UNFPA has shipped essential medicines and life-saving sexual and reproductive health services and supplies to the country.
“If there is no health facility for them to give birth, to have a skilled birth - skilled attendant’s birth - or if they don’t have access to healthcare, this is going to increase as we known maternal mortality and morbidity,” Ms. Ferro warned.
Given the “staggering number” of unintended pregnancies every year – 121 million, or 331,000 per day – UNFPA has urged governments everywhere to do more to tackle gender inequality and stalled development – two of the key drivers of the problem.
Among UNFPA’s other stand-out findings, an estimated 257 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe, modern methods of contraception.
“We must make pregnancy an aspiration not an inevitability, and we do that by empowering women and girls to make affirmative choices about sexual activity and motherhood,” said Ms. Ferro. “For this to happen, we must reduce gender inequality and empower women and girls.”
This includes rethinking what we know about contraception – including who should use it - the UNFPA Geneva Director said, amid a growing tendency for more women to question the health impacts linked to birth control medication.
“One of the questions that we are often asked is are men interested in having a role in reducing unintended pregnancies or in controlling fertility. And it’s quite interesting, because in most of the places where we have data, it shows that men are quite interested. They don’t see motherhood or family planning as a burden only to be carried by women.”
ends
STORY: Unintended Pregnancy Crisis - UNFPA
TRT: 2 mins 31s
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 30 March 2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide shot, flag alley, UN Geneva.
- Wide shot, UN Geneva Press room.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Monica Ferro, Director, UNFPA Geneva Office: “We are that foreseeing that 265,000 women are pregnant in Ukraine and in next three months 80,000 will give birth. So if there is no health facility for them to give birth, to have a skilled birth - skilled attendant’s birth - or if they don’t have access to healthcare, this is going to increase as we known maternal mortality and morbidity.”
- Medium shot, podium speakers, seated, large TV screen showing Ms. Ferro with UN logo to rear.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Monica Ferro, Director, UNFPA Geneva Office: “Today, in countries where data is available, nearly a quarter of all women are unable to say no to sex. Nearly a quarter of women are unable to make decisions about their own health care. Nearly 10 per cent are unable to make decisions about contraception.”
- Medium shot, podium speakers, seated, large TV screen showing Ms. Ferro with UN logo to rear.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Monica Ferro, Director, UNFPA Geneva Office: “Of all pregnancies in the world, nearly half – half - are unintended. For the women and girls affected, the most life-altering reproductive choice – whether or not to become pregnant – is no choice at all.”
- Medium shot, large TV screen showing Ms. Ferro in foreground with conference participant to rear.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Monica Ferro, Director, UNFPA Geneva Office: “It is a development issue. While every country continues to experience unacceptably high rates of unintended pregnancy, we see strong correlations between rates of unintended pregnancy and lack of development.”
- Medium shot, participant wearing mask, writing on laptop.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Monica Ferro, Director, UNFPA Geneva Office: “We must make pregnancy an aspiration not an inevitability, and we do that by empowering women and girls to make affirmative choices about sexual activity and motherhood. For this to happen, we must reduce gender inequality and empower women and girls.”
- Medium shot, participants, masked, following conference.
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Monica Ferro, Director, UNFPA Geneva Office: “One of the questions that we are often asked is are men interested in having a role in reducing unintended pregnancies or in controlling fertility. And it’s quite interesting, because in most of the places where we have data, it shows that men are quite interested. They don’t see motherhood or family planning as a burden only to be carried by women.”
- Medium shot, participants, masked, following conference, large screen TV showing podium speaker to rear.
- Medium shot, podium speakers with microphones and UN backdrop panel.
- Close-up, participant’s hand takes a pen and holds it over press release.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday called for an end to continuing expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, where “unchecked” settler violence has surged since the war in Gaza began more than two years ago.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
The crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to worsen amid ongoing fighting that has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes and created acute hunger, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Gaza: One million receive food parcels as humanitarians race to ‘push back hunger’
Food is slowly returning to the shelves in Gaza amid “apocalyptic scenes” but supplies are still desperately inadequate, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday, as they issued fresh calls for wider access and continued financial support.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today told the bi-weekly UN press briefing in Geneva of more details that are emerging on the atrocities committed in El Fasher, in Sudan during and after its takeover by the Rapid Support Forces.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango made the following comment on Friday at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani made the following comment on Friday at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , WHO
Sudan: UN Raises Alarm Over Mass Atrocities in El Fasher as Survivors Report Executions, Killings and Rapes
More details continue to emerge about atrocities committed during and after the fall of El Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan on 23 October. Since the powerful paramilitary group made a major incursion into the city last week, the UN Human Rights Office has received “horrendous accounts of summary executions, mass killings, rapes, attacks against humanitarian workers, looting, abductions and forced displacement,” said Seif Magango, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
Ukraine: Russian attacks on energy terrorize population as winter starts; could trigger major ‘crisis within crisis’
The UN’s top aid official in Ukraine expressed concern on Friday about “continuous attacks” on energy production sites and distribution facilities.
1
1
1
Edited News | HRC
Navi Pillay Retires After Decades Defending Human Rights and Pursuing Justice
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The telecommunications shutdowns in Afghanistan in September had serious and far-reaching impacts on people’s lives, according to a briefing paper published today by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence at the UN Geneva press briefing made the following comment on the ASEAN declaration on the right to a healthy environment.
1
1
1
Edited News | IFRC , OCHA , WMO
‘Catastrophic’ Hurricane Melissa hours from landfall in Jamaica as humanitarians rush to save lives
Millions in Jamaica and across the Caribbean are bracing for massive impact from Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday as the UN and partners are warning of a “severe” and “immediate” humanitarian threat.