Today, Uganda joins the rest of the world to celebrate World  Contraceptive Day under the theme; ” its your life, take charge.” According to the World Contraceptive Day  Coalition, worldwide more than
41% of the 208 million pregnancies that occur each year are unplanned.  Nearly half of these unplanned pregnancies end in abortion.

An estimated 33 million unintended pregnancies are a result of  contraceptive failure or incorrect use so it is important that young people are well informed about  the different methods available.  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. 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.

More than half of all women of reproductive age in developing countries, approximately 867 million, want to avoid pregnancy.

World Contraceptive Day’s mission is to improve awareness of contraception and to enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health.