However, there are, in fact, powerful and under-appreciated economic
and poverty reduction impacts of family planning. Before turning to those
arguments, it is important to note that voluntary family planning programs
are highly valued by women because they help avoid unintended pregnancies.
Each year, seventy-five million unintended pregnancies occur in the
developing world (out of a total of 186 million).11 Most of these end in abortions
or unintended births, with detrimental health and economic effects for
women and their families. Unintended pregnancies occur because over one
hundred million women have an unmet need for contraception: they don’t