Meeting the Need, Fulfilling the Promise: Youth and Longacting Reversible Contraceptives

Meeting the Need, Fulfilling the Promise: Youth and Longacting Reversible Contraceptives

by Nancy Yinger

Policy Brief, Population Reference Bureau, September 2016

http://www.prb.org/pdf16/pace-policy-brief-larcs-2016.pdf 8 pp. 2.2 MB

The importance of providing reproductive health information and services to youth is gaining worldwide attention. In 2015 the Global Consensus Statement on youth and long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) was launched and more than 50 influential organisations and governments have signed on. This brief discusses the advantages and challenges of providing LARCs – specifically contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs) – to youth, and provides case studies from Ethiopia and Madagascar. It also outlines actions for policymakers and donors to make youth access to LARCs a reality.