It is critical that we get the facts about contraception and abortion, as Rep House Leader John Boehner seeks to end funding for Planned Parenthood, part of the Republican war on women.

Mostly men who don’t know what they are talking about quote facts and figures that are untrue, when the subject is women’s reproductive health.

Make no mistake. Contraception works and reduces abortions. The Guttmacher Institute has released it latest investigation about the effectiveness of contraception in reducing unplanned pregnancy.

Contraception Works

Two-thirds of American women who use contraception consistently and correctly throughout the course of any given year account for only 5% of all unintended pregnancies. The 19% of women at risk who use contraception erratically account for 44% of all unintended pregnancies, while the 16% of women at risk who use no contraception at all for a month or more during the year account for 52% of all unintended pregnancies.

The women having abortions are either using no contraception or using it irregularly.

The body of evidence attesting to the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of publicly funded family planning services is comprehensive and compelling. These services not only improve the health of mothers and babies by helping women time and space their pregnancies, they also prevent almost two million unintended pregnancies each year, which would otherwise result in 860,000 unintended pregnancies and 810,000 abortions. Without these services, the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions among poor women in the United States would nearly double, and the number of unintended pregnancies in the nation as a whole would be nearly two-thirds higher. via Guttmacher Institute

Invest $1 To Prevent Unwanted Pregnancies, Save $4

The Guttmacher Institute has never been accused of incorrect survey information and statistics to the best of our knowledge. GI calculates that helping low-income women prevent births saves almost $4 in public expenditures for every $1 invested.