Access to contraception improved for girls in five countries

As part of a programme run by Plan, the use of modern contraception among girls aged 15-19 increased from 21 per cent to 32 per cent. Access to contraception can help young girls to continue their education and avoid pregnancies they are not ready for.

Healthcare workers inside a tent-based mobile health clinic.
Health adviser Agnes Apio shows a mobile health clinic that offers sexual health services for young people in remote areas of Uganda. Photo: Mikko Toivonen/Plan International Finland.

Between 2022 and 2025, a programme implemented by Plan International Finland supported the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people aged 10–24 in six countries.  The programme trained service providers, addressed social norms and barriers that prevent young people from using contraception and supported more than 125,000 youth service visits. 

The impact was particularly visible in the use of contraception among girls aged 15 to 19. The strongest progress was achieved where young people had access to both sexuality education and effective services. 

For example, in Mozambique, the share of girls aged 15–19 using modern contraception increased from 35 per cent to 58 per cent and in Laos from 33 per cent to 44 per cent. In Myanmar, development moved in the opposite direction due to a conflict in the region.

At the start of the programme, only 29 per cent of the 89 supported health facilities provided high-quality sexual and reproductive health services for young people. In 2025, this figure had increased to 76 per cent. The share of young people who felt that the services met their own needs well rose from 48 per cent to 82 per cent.

Background

In many developing countries, strong taboos are associated with young people’s use of contraception. The use of contraceptives by unmarried girls in particular may be considered inappropriate, even though a lack of access to contraception can lead to early and unplanned pregnancies and child marriages.

Young people are not always aware of the services available to them. Barriers to accessing services may include shame, concerns about confidentiality, long distances, the cost of services, discrimination and crises. Services for young people include contraception, testing and counselling for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, maternal health services and, where needed, service guidance, improved accessibility as well as mobile services in areas where access to the health facilities is difficult.

Support and funding

With support from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Finnish donors, the European Union and corporate partners, Plan International Finland works to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights, particularly for young people, in Laos, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Uganda, Myanmar and Zimbabwe. The My Body My Future 2 programme ran from 2022 to 2025, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland supported the programme by approximately EUR 23 million.

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