LAHORE, Sept 27: Speakers at a seminar stressed on Thursday the need for raising awareness among couples about safe contraceptive measures to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

At a seminar organised to mark the World Contraception Day at a local hotel, gynecologists Prof Dr Mariam Malik of Fatima Jinnah Medical College and Prof Dr Tayyaba Waseem of King Edward Medical University highlighted the importance raising awareness on improving education regarding reproductive health.

Speakers highlighted the importance of contraception for birth control and proper gap in birth of children.

Gynecologists said many people relied on emergency contraception and drastic measures such as abortion that could cause many complications and even death of a woman.

According to speakers, the contraception prevalence rate in Pakistan in 2006-7 is 30 per cent in which the most commonly used method is ‘female sterilisation’ (eight per cent).

They said around 46 million women around the world had abortions each year. Of these, 78 per cent live in developing countries and 22 per cent in the developed countries.

In the developing countries, 36 per cent of pregnancies are unintended and 20 per cent of them end up in abortion. In developing regions, (excluding China) where abortion is often illegal or highly restricted, abortion mortality is hundreds of times higher than in developed countries (330 deaths per 100,000 abortions). — Staff Reporter