Access to safe and adequate sexual and reproductive healthcare constitutes part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as upheld by the United Nations.

Most countries in Africa have some of the lowest rates of contraceptive use; highest maternal, infant, and child mortality rates; and highest fertility rates in the world. 45% of pregnancies that occur among adolescents in Africa are unplanned. It is estimated that 1 in 3 pregnancies that are unintended in Africa occur among girls between the ages of 15 and 19.

Public policies and cultural attitudes play a role in birth control prevalence. Approximately 30% of all women use birth control, although over half of all African women would use birth control if it were available. The main problems that prevent the use of birth control are limited availability (especially among young people, unmarried people, and the poor), high cost, limited choice of birth control methods, lack of knowledge on side-effects, spousal disapproval or other gender-based barriers, religious concerns, and bias from healthcare providers. There is evidence that increased use of family planning methods decreases maternal and infant mortality rates, improves quality of life for mothers, and stimulates economic development. However, according to CHASE AFRICA, a charitable organisation that promotes healthcare and education for women in Kenya and Uganda, approximately 1 in 5 women who want family planning cannot access it.

In Africa, 24% of women of reproductive age have an unmet need for modern contraception. Low rates of contraceptive use are most prevalent in sub-Saharan African countries.

Research undertaken in 2007 led by Akinrinola Bankole found that correct and consistent condom use by those aged 14–19 was found to be 38% in Burkina Faso, 47% in Ghana, 20% in Malawi and 36% in Uganda. According to a 2008 study done by Ike Nwachukwu and Obasi in Nigeria, modern birth control methods were used by 30% of respondents.

In Uganda, NGOs are trying to make contraceptives more available in rural areas.

The Demographic Health Survey (DHS) of 2013 revealed that a mere 2% of sexually-active girls between the ages of 15 and 19 use contraceptives. 23% of the girls in this age group have children. In 2022, BMC Public Health conducted a study that examined contraceptive-use among school-going adolescents across nine sub-Saharan African countries. Not using condoms during sex was most notably associated with being younger, having limited to no parental support, being sexually inexperienced, or having multiple sexual partners at once. Although, across the nine countries, more than 50% of sexually-active participants had used a condom at their last sexual encounter. Over a third used other methods of contraceptive for their last sexual intercourse. The highest rate of contraceptive-use was found in those from Namibia, and the lowest prevalence was found to be in Tanzania. The study concluded that there remains a great need for substantial intervention into contraceptive-use.

Use of contraception is also reported to decline each year a young woman ages.