Introduction In most countries today, people want—and are having—fewer children than they did in the past. In the industrialized countries, the trend toward smaller families has emerged gradually over the last century.  In the developing world, by contrast, the swiftness of the change has been dramatic.			Poverty and Inequality Limit Options Despite Changes The rapid pace of urbanization in most countries, improvements in education and the spread of the mass media have exposed people to new ideas, new values, new expectations, new economic pressures and new opportunities.
		Early Sexual Unions Can Undermine Well-Being Women who marry or form a sexual union at a young age—a common occurrence in most developing countries—often cut short their education and, in doing so, reduce their chances of being self-reliant. Early union can also make women more vulnerable to abuse and discrimination.			Contraceptive Use Rises, But Unmet Needs Remain The use of modern contraceptive methods, including voluntary sterilization, to avoid unplanned childbearing has increased rapidly over the past 30 years, especially in countries with strong family planning programmes. Almost all of the increase reflects greater use by women;
		A Gap Exists Between Hopes and Realities The high level of unmet need for quality contraceptive services is a key reason why there is frequently a gap between the number of children women say they want and the number they actually have.			Reproductive Health Is More Than Birth Control Women need access to a broad range of reproductive health services in addition to birth control. For example, all women, regardless of their age or whether they are sexually active, need routine gynecologic care.
		Narrowing the Gap Will Benefit Women and Society Despite widespread reductions in average family size, the populations of most developing countries are still growing at an annual rate of 2% to 3%.