The Guttmacher Institute’s work in Latin America and the Caribbean has focused on documenting the incidence and consequences of abortion and unintended pregnancy, and exploring the informal acquisition of misoprostol. The Institute also has estimated age-specific abortion rates and costs of providing postabortion care; documented adolescents’ knowledge and use of sexual and reproductive health information and services; and assessed the provision of sex education and advocated that it be fact-based, comprehensive and youth-friendly.

In addition, the Institute provides estimates (regional, subregional and country-specific) of the needs among women in low- and middle-income Latin American and Caribbean countries for modern contraception, maternal and newborn care, and abortion-related services. This work also estimates the costs and impacts of meeting these needs, providing policymakers across the region with evidence that investment in improving and increasing the provision of sexual and reproductive health services saves lives, improves women’s health and well-being, and has broad societal benefits. You can use the location menu on this page to explore country-specific information.