Birth and family life planning

Family planning is one of the most effective ways to improve women’s and children’s health and survival.

Too many births, births too frequently and births to mothers under 20 can endanger the lives of mothers and their infants.

Why wait to have children?

1. Pregnancy under the age of 20 increases the health risks for both the mother and her baby.

2. For the health of both mothers and children, a woman should wait until her last child is between 2 and 3 years old before becoming pregnant again.

3. The health risks of pregnancy and childbirth increase if a woman has had many pregnancies.

4. Family planning services provide men and women with information and steps to plan a family: the best time to start, best number to have, the best timing and ending to reproduction. There are many safe and effective methods of planning for and avoiding pregnancy.

5. Both men and women, including adolescents, are responsible for family planning. Both partners need to know about the health benefits of family planning and the available options.

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