The authors estimated that worldwide contraceptive use averted 272,040 maternal deaths in 2008, which they described as a 44% reduction. They also estimated that meeting unmet need for contraception could prevent another 104,000 maternal deaths per year, or a 29% reduction.

We estimate, using model I, that 342,203 women died of maternal causes in 2008, but that contraceptive use averted 272,040 (uncertainty interval 127,937-407,134) maternal deaths (44% reduction), so without contraceptive use, the number of maternal deaths would have been 1.8 times higher than the 2008 total.

Other researchers have calculated that, in 2008, use of modern contraception prevented 230,000 maternal deaths in developing countries. Three independent analyses give remarkably similar results: maternal deaths could be cut by about 30% if all women wishing to avoid future pregnancies were to use effective contraception.

Family planning has been estimated to have reduced maternal mortality levels in various countries by magnitudes ranging from 6 to 60% - 44% globally. Mbizvo and Burke estimate that globally family planning could prevent up to 30% of maternal deaths going forward.

It is widely recognized that family planning contributes to reducing maternal mortality by reducing the number of births and, thus, the number of times a woman is exposed to the risk of mortality. Over 1 million maternal deaths were averted between 1990 and 2005 because the fertility rate in developing countries declined. This indirect effect can reduce a country's maternal mortality ratio by an estimated 450 points during the transition from low to high levels of contraceptive use.

"An estimated 272,000 maternal deaths were averted worldwide by contraceptive use in 2008, according to an analysis of data from 172 developing and developed countries." "Globally, more than 342,000 women aged 15–49 died in 2008 because of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth; without contraceptive use, however, that number would have increased by 80%, to 614,000." "Overall, the use of contraceptives led to a 44% reduction in maternal deaths worldwide." The article is a summary of the Ahmed et al. Lancet study and explicitly links contraceptive (family planning) use to the proportion of maternal deaths prevented.

More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. A death is preventable if there was at least some chance it could have been avoided with reasonable changes to patient, family, provider, facility, system, and/or community factors. Preventing unintended pregnancies through access to effective family planning is one of the strategies identified to reduce pregnancy-related deaths.

"Maternal and newborn health care…currently prevents 198,000 maternal deaths and 1.8 million newborn deaths per year in developing countries." "Providing all pregnant women and their infants with the level of maternal and newborn health care recommended by the World Health Organization would reduce maternal deaths by 64%, to 112,000 per year, assuming no change in contraceptive use or in the number of unintended pregnancies." "If full care for all pregnant women and newborns were combined with full provision of modern contraception to women who want to avoid pregnancy, maternal deaths would drop from 308,000 to 84,000 per year." The fact sheet also notes: "Compared with the current situation, fully meeting the unmet need for modern contraception would result in an estimated 76,000 fewer maternal deaths each year."

Using 2 different models, they noted that contraceptive use averted 44% of maternal deaths, and satisfying unmet need for contraception could prevent another 29%.

"It is estimated that family planning alone has the potential to reduce maternal mortality globally by 30%." Later it reiterates: "If every woman who wanted modern contraception had access, unintended pregnancy would decline by 70%, unsafe abortions by 74% and maternal mortality by 30%." The page cites Guttmacher’s "Adding It Up" fact sheet and WHO sources as the basis for these estimates.

"In federal fiscal year (FY) 2024…Congress appropriated $607.5 million in US assistance for global family planning and reproductive health programs, including $32.5 million for UNFPA. This funding—when uninterrupted—serves 47.6 million women and couples with modern contraceptive care each year. It prevents 17.1 million unintended pregnancies, which in turn saves the lives of 34,000 women and girls who otherwise would have died from complications of pregnancy and childbirth." The brief adds: "The number of maternal deaths averted would increase from 34,000 to 42,000" with a larger US investment. These are modeled estimates of maternal deaths prevented by family planning assistance.

"If these critical funds are not renewed and spent as appropriated, over the course of one year, 47.6 million women and couples will be denied modern contraceptives, resulting in 17.1 million unintended pregnancies and 34,000 preventable pregnancy-related deaths." It further states: "These crises make it clear that family planning is not only essential to saving lives but to restoring women’s control over their futures, reducing maternal deaths and preventing unsafe abortions." This policy analysis uses the same modeling to link loss of family planning funding to additional pregnancy-related (maternal) deaths.

An increase in contraceptive prevalence rate during this period prevented 77,400 maternal deaths in 2023, approximately 24.0% of maternal deaths.

Research across many countries shows that when women have access to contraception, pregnancy-related deaths decrease. Specifically, contraception helps reduce pregnancy-related deaths by reducing the riskiest pregnancies – pregnancies that are “too early, too late, or too soon,” which are most likely to cause life-threatening complications. By continuing to expand contraception access, along with other sexual and reproductive healthcare services, we can regain momentum and continue reducing maternal mortality worldwide.

Approximately 60% of maternal deaths are preventable and family planning has shown to decrease the number of maternal deaths related to pregnancy. By preventing unintended and high‑risk pregnancies, family planning services are identified as a key strategy in U.S. efforts to reduce maternal mortality and improve maternal health outcomes.

The authors discuss prior estimates that contraceptive use averted 44% of maternal deaths and that meeting unmet need for contraception could prevent another 29%.

Approximately 800 women die every day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth – one woman every two minutes. UNFPA states that the best way to achieve the global goal of ending preventable maternal deaths is to ensure that all women have access to contraception to avoid unintended pregnancies, provide all pregnant women with skilled and respectful care during delivery, and ensure timely access to quality emergency obstetric care for complications. Access to contraception is emphasized as a core pillar of preventing maternal deaths.

Maternal mortality rates have dropped by 40% since 2000, largely due to improved access to essential health services. Part of the remarkable progress seen in the past two decades is attributable to the upsurge in midwifery programs, as well as in programmes targeted at reducing unsafe abortions, a major cause of complications. Also imperative is improved access to family planning services, and preventing underlying health conditions like anaemias, malaria and noncommunicable diseases that increase pregnancy risks, the report notes.

"Extensive research shows that behind almost every abortion is an unintended pregnancy, and the most effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy is through correct and consistent use of contraceptives." It notes that "Data from the Guttmacher Institute document that 40% of the 185 million pregnancies in the developing world in 2008 were unintended, and that about half of them—or almost one in five of all pregnancies—ended in abortion." The article argues that family planning (contraception) is a critical intervention to reduce maternal deaths, including those from unsafe abortion, even though it does not assign a specific global percentage such as 40% to deaths prevented.

84% of maternal deaths in the U.S. are thought to be preventable. One key lever for transforming maternal health is improving contraception access and making family planning a routine part of prenatal and postpartum care. Expanding access to effective family planning methods can reduce unintended and high-risk pregnancies that contribute to maternal mortality.

"Our results suggest that family planning probably prevents about 272 000 maternal deaths worldwide per year, which is supported by earlier work." The abstract states that contraceptive use averted "272 040…maternal deaths (44% reduction)" in 2008, and that without contraceptive use maternal deaths would have been "1.8 times higher." This is a reiteration of the Lancet study quantifying the percentage of maternal deaths prevented by contraceptive (family planning) use.

One study has estimated that the decline in fertility between 1990 and 2005 in developing countries was responsible for preventing 1.2 million deaths over this period and increased contraceptive use can be accredited with three-quarters of those averted deaths.