ABSTRACT
Contraception plays a fundamental role in the economic empowerment of women, in preventing unsafe abortions, and in allowing women to enjoy a pleasurable sex life, free from worries about unintended pregnancy. It is also a keystone of reproductive justice, as it has been, and continues to be, used to disempower women, for instance through forced sterilisations or contraceptive injections or through coercion by partners who confiscate pills or refuse to use a condom. Opening with a brief history of contraception through the ages and an overview of current methods, this chapter discusses the need for equal access to contraception information and services and the barriers that prevent it, including lack of reliable information and appropriately trained health professionals, cost, and cultural and religious factors. It then considers the role of contraception across the lifespan by discussing women’s experiences and the specific factors that play a role in access to and choice of contraception during adolescence, after childbirth, and during perimenopause. The chapter concludes with an agenda for further development, stressing the need for effective lower-dose and non-hormonal methods, methods that combine contraception with prevention of HIV and STIs, and methods that enhance sexual pleasure for women as well as men.
