Live your life before you start another

As the global market leader in hormonal contraception, Bayer Schering Pharma supports the World Contraception Day initiative which is committed to advancing awareness among people regarding their own family planning by improved education on effective contraceptive options.

“Being a leader means behaving like a leader and that is what Bayer Schering Pharma is doing in the case of our World Contraception Day Initiative. We are visibly demonstrating that we are taking our commitment to women’s healthcare in general and to family planning in particular to the next level. This initiative also further underscores our commitment to corporate social responsibility“, said Phil Smits, MD, Head of the Business Unit Women’s Healthcare.

The World Contraception Day is a long-term multi-national initiative driven by a coalition of non-governmental organizations. Each year, it focuses on a topical issue in the area of contraception and reproductive health.

This year, the World Contraception Day aims at preventing unintended pregnancy and improving reproductive health especially among young adults. The 2007 Slogan, ‘Live your life before you start another’, has been coined to draw young people’s attention not only to the contraceptive options available but also to the consequences of an unintended pregnancy.

The day will be launched internationally in more than 50 countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and in Japan. A number of activities are planned, including the global website “www.Your-Life.com”, providing basic knowledge and advice on sexuality and contraceptive options for all stages of life. Though all people of reproductive age can benefit from this website, young adults are particularly addressed. There is also guidance for parents and teachers who play a pivotal role in providing advice to young people. For young adults in particular, the website can also be accessed by mobile phone at wap.Your-Life.com. In addition, doctors, nurses and family planning clinics will be provided with educational material to support and optimize their contraceptive counselling.

Education on contraceptive methods is an urgent issue around the world

Thanks to hormonal contraceptives, women and men can today enjoy sexuality without fear of an unintended pregnancy. Sexual self-determination and the ability to choose freely whether and when to have children have also decisively changed the role of women in society.

There is compelling evidence that in developed countries modern hormonal contraceptives have decisively improved women's quality of life and their opportunities for self-realization. This applies to higher levels of education as well as career development and higher income levels. In developing countries, which are primarily responsible for the growth of the world population, better access to hormonal contraceptives has lowered the average birth rate and raised the age of first pregnancy.

However, in spite of these positive developments we must not be lulled into complacency. There is still much to be done. Despite the very heterogeneous conditions and needs in different countries, the improvement of education and counselling on contraceptive methods is an urgent issue around the world. The lack of knowledge of contraceptive methods and their use still is a major reason for unintended pregnancies and abortion.

World Contraception Day: A multi-national initiative driven by a coalition of non-governmental organisation such as Marie Stopes International, European Society of Contraception, Centro Latinoamericano Salud y Mujer, Federation Internationale de Gynecologie Infantile et Juvenile and the Asian Pacific Council on Contraception.

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