Unwanted Pregnancy
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Unintended pregnancy: Top 5 facts

85 million pregnancies each year are unintended worldwide! That's an estimated 40 percent of all pregnancies. Why does it happen? Do people know how to test pregnancy at home? How can you prevent it? Check out our facts…
  1. Unintended pregnancies are very common
    According to a recent study, one in every four pregnancies in India is unintended. And with younger women and girls, the number gets even higher. Some of the expectant mothers end up having abortions, and nearly all abortions are a result of unintended pregnancy.

    In the end, 21 percent of all babies born were unplanned. This is often due to the fact that mothers aren't using birth control methods correctly or regularly. Also, most people do not know how to check, test pregnancy at home on time. 
  2. How does it happen?
    There are many reasons for unwanted pregnancies. Birth control can fail. You might forget the pill, or a condom might break. Or you thought you weren't ovulating. Or you may have just had a child and thought breastfeeding would protect you.

    Some couples also don't use birth control methods at all, or unreliable methods, like withdrawal. Sometimes, reliable birth control methods aren't readily available. And, sometimes, in the case of abuse, rape or coercion, a woman may not be able to negotiate the use of contraception.
  3. Unplanned pregnancies can be a risk for the mother and child
    When a woman is planning to get pregnant, she can make sure that she is healthy. This includes taking folic acid, eating healthily and not smoking or drinking. If a woman isn't trying to have a child, it may take several weeks to find out that she is pregnant.

    The first few weeks are extremely important for the development though. For example, not taking folic acid in the beginning of a pregnancy can lead to a condition called spina bifida. Spina bifida can leave a child disabled for the rest of its life

 

Do you want to know how to check, test pregnancy at home? Read this article. 

This article is part of Love Matters' campaign to bust myths on abortion #BustTheMyths. Campaign 28th September run together with WGNRR.

#BustTheMyths
  • What are the options?
    When you find out that you are pregnant, you may feel overwhelmed and not know what to do. The best thing to start with is to find someone you trust, who you can talk to. This doesn't have to be your partner (even though your partner should ideally be involved, of course!), but it can be an aunt, a friend, or a sibling. Having an outsider's perspective can help you make this decision that will affect the rest of your life. You have a few options – keeping the child, and either bringing it up yourself or with the help of your family and others. Giving the child away for adoption is another possibility. But for some women, keeping the child is simply not an option, and they might opt to have an abortion.

    To find more information on abortion, take our myth buster quiz here!
  • How can unintended pregnancies be prevented?
    The best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies is to correctly and consistently use a reliable birth control method. If you haven't had sex with your partner yet, you should be having a conversation about contraception before you start having sex. It's both your responsibility!

    If you had unprotected sex or your birth control method failed, you can use emergency contraception for up to 5 days after it happened. The earlier, the better though!

    But it goes further than this. Everybody needs to have access to information on preventing pregnancies, before having sex. Ideally, this should be happening early in school and/or at home, but sadly, this often doesn't happen.


    What do you know about unplanned pregnancies? Have questions on how to check, test pregnancy at home? Share your thoughts in the comments or join the discussion on Facebook.

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Comments
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Catharine
Fri, 01/12/2018 - 19:00
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Mere bf ne 10 ya 15 mint sex kiya mgr mera thora sa blood aya or uska white sa pani b bht tha usk bd mene tablet le li mgr mujhe dar ha me pregnant na ho jaow q k mere pet said me dard ha 9 din bd b kya waja ha plzzz help me
Ayesha bete yadi aapne emergency pills le liya hai toh is goli ko lene ke baad pregnancy ke chances bahut kam ya na ke barabar rah jate hai. Phir bhi yadi aap aur safe hona chahti hain to ek Home pregnancy test kar leejiye aur stithi nischit kar leejiye. Pet mein dard hone ke anya karan bhi ho sakte hain, jiske liye aap kisi panjikrit doctor se mill lijiye. Lekin emergency goli unsafe sex ke 72 ghanton ke andar hee lee jaati hai, aur yeh mahila ke masik dharm par asar kar saktee hai. PLEASE in goliyon ko laparvahi se istemaal mat keejiye. Aur safe sex ke liye condom ka istemal kiya jaata hai naa ki emergency pills ka bete, yaha padhiye zara: https://lovematters.in/hi/resource/safe-sex https://lovematters.in/hi/birth-control/top-10-facts-about-emergency-contraceptive-pills Yadi aap is mudde par humse aur gehri charcha mein judna chahte hain to hamare discussion board “Just Poocho” mein zaroor shamil ho! https://lovematters.in/en/forum
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