In sub-Saharan Africa, 91 per 1,000 pregnancies are unwanted. This is around three times the rates of unintended pregnancies recorded in Europe and North America.
There are many reasons for this, from the individual to the household and community and policy levels. For instance, a young woman may want to terminate a pregnancy so she can finish her education or get the skills to improve her socio-economic prospects. These pregnancies may end in unsafe abortions. Breaking the cycle of unwanted pregnancy is therefore critical to realising socio-economic development in Africa.
