In Peru, the right to make decisions about one’s own body and reproductive life continues to shape the futures of thousands of girls, adolescents, and women. Deciding whether to have children, when and under what conditions, should not limit educational, professional, or life opportunities. Yet in practice, it remains a critical turning point that defines entire life trajectories.
Data confirm the scale of the challenge. More than half of all births registered in recent years were not planned at the time of conception. Among adolescents, the situation is even more critical: three out of four pregnancies were unintended, and within this age group, 43.5% of second births occur within 24 months. These figures point to persistent gaps in access to timely information, comprehensive sexuality education, and quality sexual and reproductive health services.
This context is compounded by limited coverage of modern contraceptive methods. In Peru, approximately 58% of women of reproductive age living in a union use a modern contraceptive method (ENDES 2024), one of the lowest rates compared to countries in the region with similar levels of development. This limitation directly affects reproductive autonomy and the ability to make free and informed decisions.
The right to choose goes beyond access to a health service. It is closely linked to autonomy, dignity, and freedom, as well as to the existence of safe environments free from violence and stigma, where decisions are not conditioned by coercion, fear, or inequality. Ensuring this right requires evidence-based public policies, culturally appropriate services, and differentiated responses according to age and context.
UNFPA Peru promotes a comprehensive approach that brings together health, education, protection, and the generation of evidence-based information. This approach seeks to strengthen the State’s capacity to guarantee timely and quality sexual and reproductive health services, ensure the availability of safe and modern contraceptive methods, and promote free and informed decision-making, particularly among adolescents, young people and populations in situations of greater vulnerability.
The right to choose is also directly linked to the prevention of gender-based violence, the elimination of child marriage and early unions, and the transformation of social norms that limit the autonomy of girls, adolescents and women. Ensuring this right is not only a matter of public health; it is a strategic investment in equality, development and the country’s future.
