60 Years, 60 Reasons
To Support IPPF/WHR
1. We help young people develop the skills to build healthy and safe relationships.
2. Abortion legislation in Latin America and the Caribbean is some of the most restrictive around the world.
3. “I dream of the day when every newborn child is welcome, when men and women are equal, and when sexuality is an expression of intimacy, joy and tenderness.” —IPPF Co-Founder Elise Ottesen-Jensen
4. Each year, there are an estimated 1.2 million unintended pregnancies among adolescent women living in Latin America and the Caribbean.
5. We educate health providers in an effort to eliminate discrimination based on age, gender, education, sexuality, and income.
6. The World Health Organization estimates that in Latin America and the Caribbean, one in eight maternal deaths result from unsafe abortion.
7. We are tenacious and effective advocates who stand up for the sexual and reproductive rights and health of all at the United Nations and with governments.
8. IPPF/WHR is a pioneer in sexual rights and a staunch defender of the right of all to enjoy freedom from all forms of discrimination based on sex, sexuality, or gender.
9. Thousands of men, women and youth in the Caribbean and Americas volunteer their time and skills to realize our shared vision of a world of choice and opportunity for all.
10. Violence against women kills and disables more women between the ages of 15 and 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents, and war combined.
11. “When you empower individuals and families with the information and services they need to decide on all aspects related to reproduction and sexuality, you create more sustainable and just communities.” —IPPF/WHR Regional Director Carmen Barroso
12. Pregnancy is the third-leading cause of death among women ages 20-34 in the region.
13. 95% of abortions in Latin America are performed illegally, often under unsafe and dangerous conditions.
14. Over 88 cents of every dollar we spend goes directly to our programs and services.
15. Just 19% of Peruvian youth ages 15-24 years have comprehensive, correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS.
16. Our Member Associations work to eliminate the stigma and discrimination that people living with HIV/AIDS too often face.
17. About one in four adolescent women aged 15-19 in South America has had sex.
18. In 2010 IPPF/WHR Mobile and Outreach Clinics provided 15,650 HIV-related services, 1.5 million condoms and 187,500 IUDs and hormonal contraceptives.
19. Our recent study in the Dominican Republic found that 42% of women living with HIV were subjected to physical violence by their partners; 11% were threatened with a gun.
20. International agreements affirm that adolescents have a right to age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health information, education, and services that enable them to deal positively and responsibly with their sexuality.
21. We make contraception affordable. Less than $5 pays for a one year supply of the pill.
22. While opposition to abortion reform remains a major force in the region, abortion is now legal in Mexico City. Our Member Association MEXFAM is providing safe, quality services to women who need them.
23. Our staff and Member Associations are more than service providers and program advisors; We are advocates, counselors, friends, and allies.
24. An estimated 2.5 million adolescents have unsafe abortions every year.
25. In 2010, IPPF/WHR Member Associations offered over 171,000 services to victims of gender-based violence.
26. We believe all people have the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
27. The region is characterized by extreme inequality. The gap in access to reproductive health care between the highest and lowest wealth quintiles is the widest of all health gaps.
28. By 2050, the region’s population is expected to grow by 150 million people.
29. Providing modern contraceptives to all women who need them would save $2.50 in maternal and newborn care costs for each dollar invested.
30. Adolescent fertility rates in Latin America and the Caribbean surpass the world average.
31. Our talented and dedicated staff speak 20 languages, come from 16 countries, and have a wide range of expertise, including medicine and human rights.
32. Every 30 seconds, a young person is newly infected with HIV.
33. We know what works. We’ve created innovative health care models that are feasible, cost-effective and viable in urban and rural settings. That is how you leave a lasting impact on a community.
34. In 2010, our Member Associations distributed nearly 63 million condoms.
35. CIES, our Member Association in Bolivia, has provided more than 75,000 HPV vaccines to girls in rural and poor communities.
36. Today’s generation of youth is the largest ever: In Latin America and the Caribbean, there are more than 160 million youth between ages 10 and 24.
37. One in three women will be raped, beaten, or coerced into marriage by an intimate partner or a family member in her lifetime.
38. 35% of women in Latin America and the Caribbean give birth before the age of 20.
39. Over half of all pregnancies in the region are unintended.
40. 80% of married adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean want to avoid a birth in the next two years.
41. Nearly 30% of our services were provided to youth under the age of 25.
42. In 2010, our Member Associations provided nearly 29 million vital services, including contraception and cervical cancer screenings.
43. Nearly half of sexually active young women in Latin America and the Caribbean have an unmet need for contraception.
44. Our Member Associations are leaders in improving government accountability and transparency, and advancing progress on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
45. Only about 10% of Bolivian females between 15 and 24 used a condom the last time they had sex.
46. Cervical cancer mortality rates are seven times greater in Latin America and the Caribbean than in North America.
47. More than 90% of our Member Associations have at least one board member under the age of 25.
48. Nearly half of all IPPF Member Associations worldwide have volunteers or staff openly living with HIV.
49. Across the region, the risk of death from pregnancy is 1 in 130 women, compared to 1 in 7750 in Canada.
50. Our Member Associations travel by foot, motorcycle, and boat to ensure that quality health care reaches those most in-need.
51. In 2010, our Member Associations and Regional Office staff secured 13 new policies and legislation in support of sexual and reproductive rights and health.
52. We make a difference in people's lives.
53. The top 10 percent of the population receives half of the region’s income, while the poorest receives only 1.6 percent.
54. We were awarded Charity Navigator’s highest four-star rating.
55. In 2010, our Member Associations distributed more than 2 million emergency contraceptive items.
56. An estimated 92,000 new HIV infections occurred in Latin America in 2009.
57. There are 45 million adolescent women ages 15–19 in Latin America and the Caribbean, accounting for about 20% of all women of reproductive age in the region.
58. In Trinidad and Tobago, the number of women between 15 and 19 years old with HIV is 5 times higher than among adolescent males.
59. We believe that all people have the right to choose whether or not to marry and when and if to have children.
60. In Colombia, approximately one fifth of all women who develop complications after an unsafe abortion do not receive the medical attention they need. Among poor rural women, half of post-abortion complications go untreated.
