Among women reporting a current unmet need for modern contraception, 1 in 3 had used a modern method in the past but discontinued use within 1 year.

More than 225 million women worldwide want to avoid pregnancy but are not using a modern method of contraception. This highlights the urgency to better meet the needs of women to reduce contraceptive discontinuation and enhance switching to new methods.

A new report from Population Council and FP2020, Contraceptive Discontinuation: Reasons, Challenges, and Solutions investigates the factors contributing to discontinuation and steps that can be taken to support women throughout their reproductive life cycles. The report, co-authored by Ian Askew and Sarah Castle, issues five key recommendations to improve family planning service environments and five recommendations to address myths about contraception and its side effects. Check out the whole report at www.bitly.com/discontinuation and share the report’s graphic: