This year promises to be an interesting one for international family planning. Here are seven issues and trends to watch for:
1. The abortion pill.
The abortion pill is at the top of the list. Distribution and sales of these drugs are increasing everywhere they are available, including Mozambique, which recently liberalized its abortion policy. Although the combination of mifepristone and misoprostol is considered the gold standard, misoprostol alone is extremely effective and may be meeting close to half of worldwide abortion demand in countries where abortion is restricted. Social marketing groups sold 3.3 million combination packs and 16 million misoprostol-only tablets in 2013 and these numbers will increase.