Contraceptives & Abortion

Contraceptives & Abortion
In the Netherlands reliable contraceptives are available and obtainable for most women and men. Contraceptive use is widely accepted and abortion is legal and safe. Presently, women and men are better able to protect themselves against unwanted pregnancies than some years ago and a growing number of women choose an abortion instead of giving birth to a child. Nevertheless, there are still vulnerable groups who are not well informed or use contraceptives ineffectively. In the Netherlands one in six women and one in ten men, is confronted with an unwanted pregnancy. The contraceptive pill is -together with the condom - the most commonly used contraceptive method in the Netherlands. However, in using it well lies a serious challenge.  Reliable information on several methods of contraceptives, knowledge about pros and cons, and skills to use them effectively are very important to make responsible choices.

Priorities in the programme:

• developing knowledge on determinants of (in-)effective contraceptive use by conducting research
• identifying good practises to prevent unwanted (teenage) pregnancies
• developing evidence based programmes with regard to preventing unwanted (teenage) pregnancies especially among vulnerable people
• supporting doctors, youth care workers and health care workers with appropriate knowledge and skills (trainings and information) about contraceptives
• identifying bottlenecks in reproductive health and influencing policy makers