PSIA is currently working to improve reproductive health in South America where meeting people’s needs for reproductive health products on a sustainable basis remains a serious challenge. The continued high abortion rates and birth rates are evidence that the need remains great. Demand is rising, but financing is not keeping pace. External donors no longer wish to supply free products, while local governments continue to reduce contraceptive distribution through their public hospitals.

The combined populations of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela are approximately 130 million inhabitants, of whom some 34 million women are of reproductive age. The target population of the PSIA PROGRAMS is approximately 12 million women, and their partners, who lack sufficient information on most aspects of reproductive health and who do not have sufficient incomes to purchase the reproductive health products currently being sold but who do not qualify for public programs. Special emphasis is placed on the adolescents and young women aged 15-24 who have the greatest need for the programs activities.

In spite of our efforts, reproductive health in these countries remains an unsolved and serious problem:

• The use of modern contraceptive methods is unacceptably low. In every country, less than half the women of reproductive age use reliable contraceptive methods.
• Many children are born who are undesired by their parents. At least half of the births were unplanned or unwanted.
• Too many parents are teenagers. Each year, 16% of girls aged 15-19 give birth (not always for the first time!) 
• The abortion rate is very high. The prevalence of unsafe abortion remains high, with up to 33 unsafe abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 in South America. The consequences of unsafe abortion—death, serious injury, infertility and increased health care cost are largely borne by poor women.

These outcomes reveal a tremendous need for a new approach to family planning that is directly related to increasing contraceptive prevalence. PSIA believes that SOCIAL-COMMERCIAL MARKETING is a viable option in the efforts to reverse these trends and improve the health and well-being of millions of people.

PSIA is proud to have overcome cultural, economic and political barriers to make available modern contraceptive methods and emergency contraception.

PSIA uses two widely accepted formulas to measure program impact: (1) Couple Years of Protection (CYP) and (2) Unintended Pregnancies Averted (UPA).

• CYP is the level of contraception necessary to protect one couple from an unintended pregnancy for one year. It is a composite figure that reflects the impact of all the methods, other than ECPs, offered by the programs. In 2007, PSIA provided almost 48,000 CYP.
• The use of 100 cycles of emergency contraception is responsible for 6 UPA. In 2007, PSIA was responsible for averting 105,000 unintended pregnancies.

PSIA estimates that it spends $15 per CYP in programming costs and $20 per UPA. PSIA takes tremendous pride that these costs are almost insignificant in relation to the actual costs that would result from these 153,000 unplanned pregnancies.

PSIA is a member of the International Consortium for Emergency Contraception and a founding member of the Latin American Consortium for Emergency Contraception. It is also member of the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition.