Family Planning is Critical to HIV Prevention

Peter Piot, head of UNAIDS, made the rounds in DC last week discussing how the global community can achieve the internationally agreed upon target of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010.   His message has been clear: Without a massive scale-up of prevention programs, we will fall far short of addressing the growing feminization of this disease.  PAI welcomes Dr. Piot and his salient message.  Now consider the future of this epidemic in countries where men and women desire to protect themselves and plan the size of their families but do not have access to services and supplies—especially condoms and contraceptives—which would make that desire a reality.

Take Kenya, for instance.  In a country where HIV/AIDS funding is strong and steadily growing (U.S. funding increased from $2 million to $74 million, 1995-2005), funding for family planning has fallen off (decreasing from $12 million to $9 million, 1995-2005).  With fewer financial resources for family planning services, unintended pregnancies have risen—nearly doubling in the years 1998 to 2003—and contraceptive use has declined.

If we’re serious about reaching universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, we cannot turn a blind eye to the demand for voluntary family planning services and supplies—including condoms. Access to these supplies and services gives men and women the tools they need to determine the size and spacing of their families and to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections.   Through robust voluntary family planning programs and their integration with HIV prevention programs, we can achieve universal access to HIV prevention and treatment programs. 

Tragically, just the opposite is happening.  Since 1995, U.S. funding for international family planning programs has fallen more than $100 million—a whopping 41% reduction when adjusted for inflation—despite the fact that the number of women of reproductive age in the developing world alone has increased by approximately 275 million women since 1995. (In Kenya, the number of women of reproductive age increased 35.9% between 1995 and 2005.)  This family planning funding shortfall is very apparent in PEPFAR's 15 focus countries, where the vast majority have seen a decrease in family planning funds in recent years. 

PAI urges the U.S. and the rest of the world to scale up funding for both HIV prevention and family planning/reproductive health programs.  This is the only way we can ever hope to defeat this deadly disease.

Population Action International (PAI) works to improve individual well-being and preserve global resources by mobilizing political and financial support for population, family planning and reproductive health policies and programs.