What the evidence says about contraception access for young people

ለወጣቶች የወሊድ መቆጣጠሪያ ተደራሽነት ላይ ማስረጃው ምን ይላል
ማስረጃው ወጣቶች የወሊድ መቆጣጠሪያ ማግኘት እንደሚፈልጉ, ነገር ግን ብዙዎች ያልተሟላ ፍላጎት እንዳለባቸው ያሳያል, እና ተደራሽነትን ማሻሻል ጤናን ይጠቅማል.

Public health researchers have studied contraception among young people for decades, and a broad consensus has taken shape. This is a plain-language summary of what that body of evidence generally says. It's not a substitute for personal medical advice.

Young people want to plan, and many face barriers. A consistent finding is that a meaningful share of young people who want to delay or space pregnancy are not using a method that fits them. Public health work calls this unmet need. The World Health Organization estimates that of the 1.9 billion women of reproductive age worldwide, around 164 million have an unmet need for contraception. In Ethiopia, analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey has found notable unmet need among young married women, with some regional studies reporting higher levels still. The reasons are rarely about a lack of interest. WHO points to limited availability of certain methods, especially in rural areas, along with cost, distance, worry about privacy, fear of judgement, and misinformation.

Access and quality of counselling matter. Evidence points to a few things that help. When services are youth-friendly, private, and free of judgement, more young people use them and stay with a method that suits them. WHO's guidance on rights-based family planning stresses good counselling, where a provider explains the full range of options and helps a person choose rather than pushes one method, and links this to greater satisfaction and continued use.

A range of methods improves fit. Because lives and health differ, having many methods available, from short-acting pills and injectables to long-acting implants and IUDs, plus condoms and emergency contraception, lets more people find something they will actually keep using. WHO family planning guidance supports offering the full method mix rather than a narrow set.

Information and stigma are recurring themes. Research consistently identifies myths and misinformation, including fears about future fertility, as a barrier that keeps some young people from methods they might otherwise choose. WHO is clear that modern contraceptive methods don't cause infertility. Clear, respectful information, and the chance to ask questions in private, are widely seen as part of the solution.

Ethiopian context. National and regional efforts have worked to expand access to contraception for young people. The Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey has documented rising contraceptive use among married women alongside remaining unmet need, with gaps that are wider for unmarried youth, rural communities, and those without easy access to a facility.

The overall picture is hopeful. Where young people can reach private, respectful services and accurate information, they're well placed to plan their lives and protect their health.

Sources

• World Health Organization. Family planning/contraception methods, fact sheet (2025).
• World Health Organization. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, sixth edition.
• World Health Organization. Emergency contraception, fact sheet.
• World Health Organization. Intrauterine devices (IUDs) and Oral contraceptives, fact sheets.
• Central Statistical Agency (Ethiopia) and ICF. Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2016.
• Peer-reviewed analyses of Ethiopia DHS data on unmet need for family planning among young and adolescent women (for example, PLOS ONE 2024; Contraception and Reproductive Medicine 2022).

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