Contraceptive Use in the Countries of the Former Soviet Union: Two Decades of Transition

Rebecca Callahan, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Vera Zlidar, John Snow, Inc.
Nino Berdzuli, John Snow, Inc.

Over the past two decades the countries of the former Soviet Union have experienced unprecedented change in the accessibility of modern contraceptive methods. With the rise of the private sector, the influx of international donor assistance for family planning, and government commitments to reproductive health policy reforms, abortion rates have plummeted and contraceptive prevalence has risen. Where previously women had to rely on abortion for fertility control, in many countries women and couples now have access to a range of contraceptive methods through private pharmacies and even their primary healthcare providers. Recent survey data, however, signal a slowing of improvements in many countries as donor assistance wanes and pro-natalist policies stifle family planning efforts. Considerable work remains to ensure that the gains that have been made since independence are not lost and women, men, and couples in the region can realize their reproductive goals with safe, modern methods of contraception.