Female Contraceptive Market Size

Female Contraceptive Market Analysis

The female contraceptive market is expected to register a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the growth of the studied market in its initial phase owing to the disruption in the supply chains of contraceptives. For instance, according to an article published in March 2022 in Contraception and Reproductive Medicine, it was observed that the use of long-acting contraceptives decreased with implants by 76%, intrauterine systems by 79%, and intrauterine devices by 76% during the initial phase of a pandemic. Also, according to United Nations Population Fund's data published in March 2021, the COVID-19 epidemic disrupted family planning services for an estimated 12 million women, resulting in 1.4 million unplanned pregnancies. However, the market has gradually increased in the last few years due to rising awareness regarding contraception use and access to the same in the later period of the pandemic.

Certain factors that are propelling the market growth are increasing incidences of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), increasing rates of unintended pregnancies, and rising government initiatives.

The number of unwanted pregnancies is increasing globally, and it is a matter of serious concern all around the world. For instance, according to the United Nations Population Fund, in March 2022, unintended pregnancies accounted for about half of all pregnancies worldwide, with 121 million occurring each year. As per the same source, over 60% of unplanned pregnancies end in abortion, with an estimated 45% of all abortions being unsafe, resulting in 5%-13% of all maternal fatalities, putting the world's capacity to meet the "Sustainable Development Goals" at risk. Additionally, according to the article published in the BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 2021 by Nebamallika Dahingia, unintended pregnancies affect approximately 85 million women worldwide, with India accounting for more than 1 in every 7 of these cases. In addition, as per the same source, Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state (population of approximately 200 million), has twice the unwanted fertility rate as compared to the rest of the country. Thus, the rising number of unintended pregnancies is expected to boost the female contraceptive market over the forecast period.

In addition, the rising prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases among the population is expected to increase market growth. For instance, as per the data published by the WHO in November 2021, more than 1.0 million sexually transmitted infections are acquired every day globally and most of them are asymptomatic. It also reported that every year there are an estimated 374.0 million new infections with 1 out of 4 sexually transmitted infections including gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and syphilis. Thus, the high burden of sexually transmitted diseases is expected to increase the demand for contraception to avoid getting diseases, thereby propelling the market growth.

Furthermore, the strategic initiatives by market players also contribute to market growth. For instance, in December 2021, Gedeon Richter Unite Kingdom Ltd became a marketing authorization holder (MAH) for Evra, a once-weekly transdermal contraceptive patch for women of fertile age in the United Kingdom. Such authorizations are expected to propel the availability of contraceptive devices in the country during the forecast period.

Therefore, owing to the aforesaid factors such as the high burden of STDs and rising launches, the studied market is expected to grow during the forecast period. However, the high cost of devices and treatment and side effects associated with the use of contraceptive drugs and devices are likely to restrain the market growth over the forecast period.