Report on Contraceptive Access and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 3: Ensuring Good Health and Well-being

Access to modern contraception is a fundamental component of essential health care, directly contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3. The provision of these services is critical for meeting key health targets:

• Target 3.7 (Universal Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health-Care Services): An estimated 164 million women and girls aged 15 to 49 have an unmet need for modern contraception, despite a desire to delay or prevent pregnancy. Fulfilling this need is central to achieving universal access.
• Target 3.1 (Reduce Maternal Mortality): The ability to safely and effectively prevent unintended or mistimed pregnancies is a primary strategy for reducing the risk of pregnancy-related complications, including maternal injury and death.

SDG 5: Achieving Gender Equality

The availability of contraceptive services is intrinsically linked to the empowerment of women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals, representing a critical lever for advancing Sustainable Development Goal 5.

1. Reproductive Autonomy: Access to contraception supports reproductive rights, enabling individuals to make informed decisions about their bodies and futures, which is a cornerstone of gender equality.
2. Inclusive Services: To fully realize SDG 5, it is imperative that sexual and reproductive health services are gender-inclusive, recognizing that transgender, intersex, and gender non-binary individuals also experience pregnancy and require access to contraceptive care.

SDG 16: Promoting Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The challenges to providing contraceptive care are significantly exacerbated in specific environments, undermining progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 16.

• Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings: Health risks, including maternal mortality, are inherently elevated in these contexts, threatening community stability.
• Destruction of Infrastructure: The destruction of essential medical supplies severely constrains the capacity of local governments and humanitarian actors to meet heightened health care demands, weakening institutional stability and access to justice in health.

SDG 17: Fostering Partnerships for the Goals

The scale of the unmet need for contraception, particularly in crisis-affected regions, underscores the necessity of robust partnerships as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 17.

• Collaborative Response: Existing service gaps, which have been amplified in contexts formerly reliant on partners like USAID, cannot be filled by any single entity overnight.
• Multi-Actor Engagement: A coordinated effort between local governments, international partners, and non-governmental organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is required to scale up services and build resilient health systems.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights issues that are directly and indirectly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals. The primary focus on health care, specifically contraceptives and reproductive health, links strongly to SDG 3. The emphasis on women, girls, and gender-inclusive services connects to SDG 5. Finally, the mention of “fragile and conflict-affected settings” where these health risks are elevated points to SDG 16.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The text explicitly frames contraceptives as “essential health care” and discusses how their availability prevents unintended pregnancies, which in turn reduces “maternal death and injury.” This directly aligns with the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article focuses on the needs of “women and girls aged 15 to 49” and explicitly states its commitment to gender-inclusive services for “transgender, intersex, and gender non-binary people.” Access to sexual and reproductive health services is a cornerstone of gender equality, empowering individuals to make autonomous decisions about their bodies and futures. The unmet need for contraception disproportionately affects these groups, hindering their educational and economic opportunities.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article points out that health risks are “elevated in fragile and conflict-affected settings” and mentions the “destruction of essential medical supplies.” This connects the lack of access to health care with the breakdown of peace and security. The inability of local governments to meet demand in these contexts highlights the link between conflict, weak institutions, and negative health outcomes.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific targets can be identified.

1. Target 3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services.

   The entire article is centered on this target. It highlights a significant gap in access, stating that “164 million [women and girls] wish to delay or prevent pregnancy but are not currently using a modern method of contraception.” It discusses the provision of “contraceptive services” as essential health care, which is the core of this target.

2. Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.

   This target mirrors 3.7 but from a gender equality and rights-based perspective. The article’s focus on the “wish to delay or prevent pregnancy” implies a desire for bodily autonomy. The specific mention of ensuring services are “gender-inclusive” for women, girls, transgender, intersex, and non-binary people directly supports the goal of universal access to reproductive health for all, which is fundamental to achieving gender equality.

3. Target 3.1: Reduce the global maternal mortality ratio.

   The article directly links the lack of contraceptives to maternal health risks. It states that an “unwanted or mistimed” pregnancy “can increase the risk of pregnancy complications, including maternal death and injury.” By advocating for contraceptives to prevent unintended pregnancies, the article addresses a key strategy for reducing maternal mortality.

4. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

   This target is relevant due to the context provided. The article mentions that health risks are amplified in “fragile and conflict-affected settings” and refers to the “destruction of essential medical supplies.” This destruction is a form of violence that directly impacts civilian health and well-being, undermining the provision of life-saving services and contributing to preventable deaths.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article provides both quantitative and qualitative information that aligns with official SDG indicators.

• Indicator 3.7.1: Proportion of women of reproductive age (aged 15–49 years) who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods.

  The article provides a direct, quantifiable measure related to this indicator. It states, “Among women and girls aged 15 to 49, 164 million wish to delay or prevent pregnancy but are not currently using a modern method of contraception.” This figure represents the “unmet need,” which is the inverse of the indicator. Tracking a reduction in this number would measure progress.

• Indicator 3.1.1: Maternal mortality ratio.

  While the article does not provide a specific ratio, it directly implies this indicator by linking unintended pregnancies to an increased “risk of pregnancy complications, including maternal death.” The argument is that increasing access to contraceptives is a means to reduce maternal deaths, making the maternal mortality ratio a key metric for success.

• Indicator 5.6.1: Proportion of women aged 15–49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care.

  The article implies this indicator by highlighting the gap between desire and action: “164 million wish to delay or prevent pregnancy but are not currently using a modern method.” This suggests that external factors—such as lack of access, destruction of supplies, or weak health systems—are preventing individuals from acting on their decisions, thus limiting their reproductive autonomy.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators’ to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: doctorswithoutborders.org