[afro-nets] Majority of Couples Worldwide Use Contraception, UN says

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

From: "Vern Weitzel" <vern.weitzel@undp.org

Majority of Couples of Child-Bearing Age Worldwide Use Contraception
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New York, Apr 21 2004 5:00PM

Nearly two-thirds of women of child-bearing age in marital or
consensual unions use contraception, with the highest percentage
found in Latin America and the Caribbean and the lowest in Af-
rica, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Af-
fairs (DESA) says:
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/dev2469.doc.htm

In a new wall chart called "World Contraceptive Use 2003,"
DESA's Population Division, assessing family planning practices
in 160 countries or areas, says contraception has been increas-
ing steadily over the past decade and 61 per cent of women aged
15 to 49 years worldwide now use contraceptives.

The percentage for the 170 million women in the richer countries
is 69 per cent, compared to 59 per cent of 873 million women in
developing countries.

The rate for the 117 million women in Africa is 27 per cent,
compared to a rate of 71 per cent of the 82 million women in
Latin America and the Caribbean, the division says.