Fertility rates are high throughout the developing world because women are having more children than they want for a variety of reasons, most of which relate to poor access to contraceptive information and services. Using client data from a project in Ecuador, an attempt was made to determine the number of additional births that had occurred and the number that had been averted over a defined time period. In general, most of the teens in the study came to one of the clinics for contraceptive services after they had their first child.
Most teens come to adult family planning clinics after it is too late.
Conclusions of Study Effective family planning programs can reduce fertility rates over time, especially in the over 30-year old age groups, and assist women to achieve their reproductive intentions by averting unwanted births. When family planning programs are designed to reach adolescents and youth, it is more likely that teenage girls will be able to delay their first birth. Since 1971, FPIA has been at the forefront of the international reproductive health movement, developing effective, culturally sensitive programs that improve the health and lives of women and their families. FPIA s goal is to ensure that everyone has equal and open access to the information and services they need to make conscientious, safe, and responsible decisions about their reproductive health. FPIA-assisted projects are an investment in women, their families and the future.