Jamaica will join over 110 countries in commemorating the first World Contraception Day today under the theme 'Live your life before you start another'.

This year's theme aims to appeal directly to young adults to emphasise the importance of choosing to become a parent rather than it happening by chance. World Contraception Day is the first-ever international awareness campaign aimed at reducing the high levels of unintended pregnancy that occurs every year.

"World Contraception Day is a much-needed campaign to highlight the importance of enabling women and men to make informed decisions about becoming parents at a time that's right for them," said Dana Hovig, chief executive of Marie Stopes International, one of the global sexual and reproductive health agencies spearheading the campaign.

"Unintended pregnancy is a widespread and under-recognised problem, not just in low-income countries but in the developed world as well," she said. "In fact, of the 28 million pregnancies in the developed world each year, 36 per cent are unintended and 20 per cent of those end in abortions."

Health-care professional campaign

In Jamaica, the event will be marked by an opening ceremony at the Hilton Kingston hotel, featuring key speakers from Jamaica's health society, including Dr. Errol Daley, former head of the Medical Association of Jamaica and Dr. Olivia McDonald from the National Family Planning Board.

At today's event, it is expected that the full slate of activities surrounding the day will be unveiled. Scheduled activities, however, include a health-care professional campaign to ensure doctors, nurses and family planning clinics are fully aware of World Contraception Day.

In the latest reproductive health survey produced by the National Family Planning Board in 2002, 53 per cent of all women were using a contraceptive method with their partner. This is an increase from 50.3 per cent of women in 1997's survey. But with the age of first sexual activity falling from 13.9 years in 1993 to 13.5 years in 2002 for boys and 15.9 years for girls in 1993 to 15.8 in 2002, there are concerns that much more attention needs to be directed at contraceptive use among youth.