The Harvard research team is collaborating with the Aga Khan University’s Division of Woman and Child Health to evaluate the Willows Program in Karachi, Pakistan. Karachi is the capital city of Sindh province, located in the southeast region of the country. Home to 14.9 million people, Karachi is the most populous city in Pakistan, and one of the most densely populated cities in the world.
Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health in Pakistan
According to the 2012-13 Demographic and Health Survey, 20% of currently married Pakistani women have an unmet need for family planning services. In Sindh province, only a quarter of women reported using a modern contraceptive method (DHS, 2013).
Due to the unmet need for contraception and family planning services, rates of unintended pregnancy are high – the Guttmacher Institute estimates that about 50% of all pregnancies in Pakistan are unintended, and more than half of these end in abortion. In Pakistan, induced abortion is permitted under some circumstances. A lack of clarity in interpreting the law makes it very difficult to access legal abortion services, thus most women who have abortions undergo clandestine and unsafe procedures. Abortion estimates vary considerably among provinces: Sindh province has the second highest incidence with 57 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-49.
Source: https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/unintended-pregnancy-and-induced-abortion-pakistan
