• The first contraceptive method in history was the Petri Papyrus, which was developed around 1850 BC.
• Countries with the highest rates of contraceptive use are Finland (79%), Switzerland (73%) and Canada (73%).
• Meanwhile, the countries with the lowest rates were Chad, Somalia, South Sudan and Eritrea, all at less than 10%.

Family planning is the right of all couples in the world and its aim is to enable each to decide the exact moment at which they wish to have children. The basis is usage contraceptive method and until now there are various kinds. While one of the biggest problems is that they are not common in all countries.

What are contraceptive methods and how did they appear?

In its simplest definition it is substances, objects, or procedures that prevent a woman from becoming pregnant. They permit birth control and help couples decide whether or not to have children until they are ready.

A common mistake is thinking that birth control methods came about over the last few decades because they are actually quite old. One of the first medical texts in history is Petri Papyruswritten around 1850 BC In his annotations he talks about recipes and methods of natural origin to prevent conception.

Among the indications suggested the use of crocodile dung mixed with a paste that acts as an inhibitor preventing conception. Meanwhile, another recipe consists of vaginal irrigation with natural honey and baking soda. It was only centuries later that this type of prescription was found to be ineffective and even dangerous for women.

Against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections

On the other hand, returning to the importance of today’s contraceptive methods, ie World Health Organization (WHO) mentioning that they are also useful for protecting women. The reason is because they prevent pregnancy-related health risks, especially in adolescents.

In addition, when the interval between births is less than two years, the infant mortality rate is 45% higher than the interval between 2 to 3 years, and 60% higher than when the interval is four years or more.

State of the World Population Report 2023 from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) highlighting how population dynamics is often cited as the root cause of many of today’s challenges.

Countries with the highest and lowest use of contraceptive methods

Meanwhile, countries with the highest proportion of women aged 15-49 who used contraception were Finland (79%), Switzerland (73%), Canada (73%), England (72%) and China (71%). At the regional level, Latin America and the Caribbean stand out (average contraceptive rate of 59 percent). Followed by Asia and the Pacific (54%).

Meanwhile, Eastern and Central Asia (46%), Eastern and Southern Africa (36%), Arab Countries (34%), and West and Central Africa (20%) are below the global average of 50%.

In the United States, around six in ten women (61%) are using some form of contraception by 2023, slightly below the average for countries such as the Netherlands (63%), Ireland (65%), New Zealand (65%) and Brazil (67%).

Finally, the place with the lowest contraceptive rate in the world is Chad, Somalia, South Sudan and Eritreaall with less than 10% of women reported using contraception.

Also read:

This is the safest contraceptive method according to SSa

These are new guidelines for prescribing long-acting reversible contraceptive methods

The most widely used method of contraception in the world