In 1550 B.C.E. Egypt, tampons made from lint and soaked in fermented acacia juice were used as a means of contraception. With so many choices, women can safely reduce their risk of unwanted pregnancy and prevent the socioeconomic impact of unplanned parenthood. But women need easy access to all the methods so that they can control their reproductive health by choice, not chance. Availability, accessibility, and attitudes towards contraception are complex social, political, and economical issues. Unwanted pregnancies are not only one of the major causes of maternal mortality and illness but are also a great social and financial burden.
Unwanted pregnancies contribute to women's health problems in two major ways.
First, raising a healthy child requires that the mother be healthy and that she has access to plenty of support and adequate resources. Unwanted pregnancies for women who have already existing health problems or who do not have enough family, financial or emotional support can seriously threaten the mother's health and well-being. Contraception is a means of protection for women who are not ready or able to raise a healthy child and for whom giving birth could have profound consequences for the mother's well-being. Second, in places where women do not have access to safe abortion services, many women resort to unsafe procedures that can lead to death or disability. Researchers estimate that nearly 80,000 maternal deaths and hundreds and thousands of disabilities occur around the world because of unsafe abortions.