Bayer Supports the 10th Anniversary of World Contraception Day: A Global Campaign to Elevate Awareness of Unintended Pregnancy

WHIPPANY, N.J., Sept. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On World Contraception Day's 10^th anniversary, Bayer is proud to reinforce the importance of empowering women to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health with their healthcare provider. Of the 6.1 million pregnancies that occurred in the United States in 2011, nearly half (45% or 2.8 million) were unintended.¹ First launched in 2007, World Contraception Day centers around the vision of a world where every pregnancy is wanted and women have the necessary tools, skills and knowledge to take control of their health and family planning.

"We are proud to support ten years of an initiative that reinforces our commitment to educating women about contraception," said Jon Stelzmiller, Bayer's senior vice president and general manager, women's healthcare. "Bayer has a rich history in women's health, and we are dedicated to ensuring that women have access to birth control options that meet their individual needs."  

Bayer leads World Contraception Day efforts and is the founding sponsor of this initiative. The global campaign is supported by a coalition of 14 international nongovernmental organizations, governmental organizations as well as scientific and medical societies with an interest in sexual and reproductive health. The coalition members involved in World Contraception Day include:

• Asia Pacific Council on Contraception (APCOC)
• Centro Latinamericano Salud y Mujer (CELSAM)
• EngenderHealth (EH)
• European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health (ESC)
• DSW (Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung)
• Family Planning 2020 (FP 2020)
• International Federation of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (FIGIJ)
• International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)
• Marie Stopes International (MSI)
• Pathfinder International
• Population Services International (PSI)
• The Population Council
• The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
• Women Deliver (WD)

Bayer is also proud to congratulate this year's 40 winners of 120 Under 40: The New Generation of Family Planning Leaders. Now in its second year, this multi-year project is supported by Bayer and led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Over the course of three years, 120 young leaders around the world will be recognized for their work in advancing family planning and reproductive health. More information about the initiative as well as a list of the 2017 winners can be found at www.120under40.org. 

Bayer: Science For A Better Life
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2016, the Group employed around 115,200 people and had sales of EUR 46.8 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.7 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.

© 2017 Bayer
Bayer and the Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of Bayer. 

Media Contact:
Courtney Mallon
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¹ The New England Journal of Medicine, no. 374: 843-852. Lawrence B. Finer, Ph.D., and Mia R. Zolna, M.P.H., "Declines in Unintended Pregnancy in the United States, 2008?2011", http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1506575. Accessed August 23, 2017.

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SOURCE Bayer