Venezuela's food shortages, inflation and crumbling medical sector have become such a source of anguish that a growing number of young women are reluctantly opting for sterilizations rather than face the hardship of pregnancy and child-rearing. Traditional contraceptives like condoms or birth control pills have virtually vanished from store shelves, pushing women towards the hard-to-reverse surgery. While no recent national statistics on sterilizations are available, doctors and health workers say demand for the procedure is growing. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins SEARCH "STERILIZATION CHILD" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Matching text VENEZUELA-STERILIZATIONS/

A Likhaan NGO health worker shows contraceptive pills to housewives during a family planning lecture at a reproductive health clinic in Tondo, metro Manila, Philippines January 12, 2016. In a statement, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative Klaus Beck said, poor women in the Philippines who depend on free contraceptives from public health centres will be most impacted by the scrapping of government's budget for contraceptives. Picture taken January 12, 2016. REUTERS/Janis Alano

A Plan B One-Step emergency contraceptive box is seen in New York, April 5, 2013. A federal judge on Friday ordered the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to make "morning-after" emergency contraception pills available without a prescription to all girls of reproductive age. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES - Tags: HEALTH)

Dominique Maraninchi, General Director of the French National Security Agency for Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), speaks during a news conference at the agency's headquarter in Saint Denis, near Paris, January 30, 2013. France's health regulator on Wednesday said it would suspend acne pill Diane 35, which is also used as a contraceptive, and its generic versions within three months because it carries a high risk of blood clots. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer (FRANCE - Tags: HEALTH HEADSHOT)

Dominique Maraninchi (2ndR), General Director of the French National Security Agency for Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), speaks during a news conference at the agency's headquarter in Saint Denis, near Paris, January 30, 2013. France's health regulator on Wednesday said it would suspend acne pill Diane 35, which is also used as a contraceptive, and its generic versions within three months because it carries a high risk of blood clots. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer (FRANCE - Tags: HEALTH)

Dominique Maraninchi (L), General Director of the French National Security Agency for Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), speaks to the journalists after a news conference at the agency's headquarter in Saint Denis, near Paris, January 30, 2013. France's health regulator on Wednesday said it would suspend acne pill Diane 35, which is also used as a contraceptive, and its generic versions within three months because it carries a high risk of blood clots. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer (FRANCE - Tags: HEALTH)

Dominique Maraninchi (L), General Director of the French National Security Agency for Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), speaks to the journalists after a news conference at the agency's headquarter in Saint Denis, near Paris, January 30, 2013. France's health regulator on Wednesday said it would suspend acne pill Diane 35, which is also used as a contraceptive, and its generic versions within three months because it carries a high risk of blood clots. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer (FRANCE - Tags: HEALTH)

Dominique Maraninchi (R), General Director of the French National Security Agency for Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), speaks to the journalists after a news conference at the agency's headquarter in Saint Denis, near Paris, January 30, 2013. France's health regulator on Wednesday said it would suspend acne pill Diane 35, which is also used as a contraceptive, and its generic versions within three months because it carries a high risk of blood clots. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer (FRANCE - Tags: HEALTH)

An illustration picture shows a woman holding a birth control pill at her home in Nice January 3, 2013. French health regulators are studying limiting the use of contraceptive pills that carry health risks and will stop reimbursing prescription costs of some types from March, after a woman sued drugmaker Bayer over alleged side-effects. An inquiry launched this week by the ANSM health regulator will review prescription practices by doctors, whom it says may be over-prescribing higher-risk third and fourth-generation pills. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard (FRANCE - Tags: HEALTH)

An illustration picture shows a blister-pack of birth control pills displayed at a private home in Nice January 3, 2013. French health regulators are studying limiting the use of contraceptive pills that carry health risks and will stop reimbursing prescription costs of some types from March, after a woman sued drugmaker Bayer over alleged side-effects. An inquiry launched this week by the ANSM health regulator will review prescription practices by doctors, whom it says may be over-prescribing higher-risk third and fourth-generation pills. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard (FRANCE - Tags: HEALTH)

An illustration picture shows a woman holding a birth control pill at her home in Nice January 3, 2013. French health regulators are studying limiting the use of contraceptive pills that carry health risks and will stop reimbursing prescription costs of some types from March, after a woman sued drugmaker Bayer over alleged side-effects. An inquiry launched this week by the ANSM health regulator will review prescription practices by doctors, whom it says may be over-prescribing higher-risk third and fourth-generation pills. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard (FRANCE - Tags: HEALTH)

Health workers show the proper use of a condom during a family planning session held in the Likhaan centre, an NGO clinic in Tondo, Manila August 6, 2012. The housewives, who brought along their children, reacted enthusiastically to the session. After attendance, they are offered free contraception, such as pills or condoms. Pitting himself against the teachings of the country's powerful Catholic church, Philippine President Benigno Aquino, a Catholic like 80 percent of the population, has thrown his support behind a reproductive health bill that will, if passed, guarantee access to free birth control and promote sex education. Picture taken August 6, 2012. REUTERS/Erik De Castro (PHILIPPINES - Tags: POLITICS HEALTH SOCIETY POVERTY)

ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 15 OF 27 FOR PACKAGE 'CONTRACEPTION, STATE AND CHURCH' SEARCH 'REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH' FOR ALL IMAGES

Drugstore vendors display contraceptive pills and condoms they are selling in a slum community of Baseco, in Tondo, Manila September 30, 2012. REUTERS/Erik De Castro (PHILIPPINES - Tags: POLITICS HEALTH SOCIETY POVERTY)

An NGO health worker holds contraceptive pills during a family planning session with housewives availing free pills in Tondo, Manila August 6, 2012. REUTERS/Erik De Castro (PHILIPPINES - Tags: POLITICS HEALTH SOCIETY POVERTY)

Housewives receive birth control pills from a community health worker from the Likhaan non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Tondo, Manila August 6, 2012. Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Monday successfully threw his weight behind a health bill promoting state-funded contraception, stepping out of his late mother Corazon's shadow as he pushes reforms widely opposed by the Roman Catholic Church. The bill, as it stands, requires governments down to the village level to provide free or low-cost reproductive health services. The law will not promote abortion, which is illegal. REUTERS/Erik De Castro (PHILIPPINES - Tags: POLITICS HEALTH)

Vienna born U.S. chemist, novelist and playwright Carl Djerassi, known for the development of the first oral contraceptive pill, takes a seat at a meeting with the Austrian Chancellor (not pictured) in Vienna October 20, 2009. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA)

Vienna born U.S. chemist, novelist and playwright Carl Djerassi, known for the development of the first oral contraceptive pill, displays his Austrian passport during a news conference in Vienna November 11, 2008. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA)

Vienna born U.S. chemist, novelist and playwright Carl Djerassi, known for the development of the first oral contraceptive pill, talks during a news conference in Vienna November 11, 2008. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA)

Vienna born U.S. chemist, novelist and playwright Carl Djerassi, known for the development of the first oral contraceptive pill, talks during a news conference in Vienna November 11, 2008. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA)

Vienna born U.S. chemist, novelist and playwright Carl Djerassi, known for the development of the first oral contraceptive pill, talks during a news conference in Vienna November 11, 2008. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA)

Vienna born U.S. chemist, novelist and playwright Carl Djerassi, known for the development of the first oral contraceptive pill, talks during a news conference in Vienna November 11, 2008. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA)

Vienna born U.S. chemist, novelist and playwright Carl Djerassi, known for the development of the first oral contraceptive pill, talks during a news conference in Vienna November 11, 2008. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA)

Vienna born U.S. chemist, novelist and playwright Carl Djerassi, known for the development of the first oral contraceptive pill, talks during a news conference in Vienna November 11, 2008. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA)

Vienna born U.S. chemist, novelist and playwright Carl Djerassi, known for the development of the first oral contraceptive pill, talks during a news conference in Vienna November 11, 2008. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA)

A woman takes part in a rally in support of the free distribution of the morning-after pill to teenagers 14 and above, in Valparaiso city, about 75 miles (120 km) northwest of Santiago, April 22, 2008. The Constitutional Tribunal, which has the last word in Chile on constitutional law, overruled a decree signed by President Michelle Bachelet over a year ago that authorized the free distribution of the morning-after pill to children 14 and above. REUTERS/Eliseo Fernandez (CHILE)

A woman shows journalists a copy of the petition filed to the Court of Appeals in Manila January 30, 2008. Women from three slum communities in Manila asked the appeals court on Wednesday to allow them access to contraceptives in public clinics, revoking a local law that bans condoms and pills. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco (PHILIPPINES)

Mothers show journalists copies of the petition they filed to the Court of Appeals in Manila January 30, 2008. Women from three slum communities in Manila asked the appeals court on Wednesday to allow them access to contraceptives in public clinics, revoking a local law that bans condoms and pills. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco (PHILIPPINES)

Samples of emergency contraceptive pills are displayed in this photo taken at a Buenos Aires public hospital January 2, 2007. In Buenos Aires, public hospitals offer the emergency contraception for free, no questions asked. Argentine lawmakers are pushing to extend this service nationwide. Picture taken January 2, 2007. To match feature LATAM-CONTRACEPTION/ REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian (ARGENTINA)

Boxes of the contraceptive Postinor-2, known as "morning-after pill", are seen inside a safe in a public health clinic in a shantytown in Santiago September 22, 2006. The health ministry in Chile, the most socially conservative country in Latin America, won a legal victory on Thursday in its drive to provide emergency contraceptive pills to minors without parental consent. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado (CHILE)

Boxes of the contraceptive Postinor-2, known as "morning-after pill", are seen inside a safe in a public health clinic in a shantytown in Santiago September 22, 2006. The health ministry in Chile, the most socially conservative country in Latin America, won a legal victory on Thursday in its drive to provide emergency contraceptive pills to minors without parental consent. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado (CHILE)

A Chinese woman uses a dispensing machine to obtain free condoms or contraceptive pills, which was set-up in a Beijing suburb as part of a pilot project for family planning and Aids prevention November 26, 2004. Local residents receive a chip card to operate the machine at any time of the day. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause RKR/CN/LA

Tablets are put by mail in a boxes in RIo de Janeiro, January 19, 2004. The Brazilian city of the Rio de Janeiro, notorious for its teeming slums, will mail contraceptive pills free of charge to women, including teenagers, in poor neighborhoods. As part of the program, which already includes free distribution of medicine for heart problems or diabetes, women in the city famous for its beaches and raucous Carnival celebration can receive the pills or other contraceptives at the address of their choice. REUTERS/Bruno Domingos BD/SV

Pills are put by in boxes in RIo de Janeiro, January 19, 2004. The Brazilian city of the Rio de Janeiro, notorious for its teeming slums, will mail contraceptive pills free of charge to women, including teenagers, in poor neighborhoods. As part of the program, which alreadly includes free distribution of medicine for heart problems or diabetes, women in the city famous for its beaches and raucous Carnival celebration can receive the pills or other contraceptives at the address of their choice. REUTERS/Bruno Domingos REUTERS BD/SV

A Chilean scientist shows a black-widow spider at his laboratory in
Temuco, 700 Km south of Santiago, June 9, 2003. Chilean researchers say
they aim to develop a new pill to combat impotence that would have the
added bonus of being a male contraceptive, based on experiments with
the venom of black-widow spiders. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

CB

Briton Yvonne Berry answers questions from the media outside the High
Court in London July 29, 2002. Berry is one of ten women involved in a
test case against pharmaceutical companies Organon Laboratories,
Schering Healthcare and Wyeth, claiming that she has been damaged by
the third generation contraceptive pill Femodene. The High Court has
dismissed the case. REUTERS/Michael Crabtree

MC/NMB

Briton Trudi Banning (R) answers questions from the media outside the
High Court in London July 29, 2002. Banning is one of ten women
involved in a test case against pharmaceutical companies Organon
Laboratories, Schering Healthcare and Wyeth, claiming that she has been
damaged by the third generation contraceptive pill Femodene. The High
Court has dismissed the case. REUTERS/Michael Crabtree

MC/NMB

MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF ORGANON LABORATORIES DR ROB KAPER TAKES QUESTIONS
FROM THE MEDIA OUTSIDE THE HIGH COURT IN LONDON.


Medical Director of Organon Laboratories Dr Rob Kaper answers questions
from the media outside the High Court in London July 29, 2002. Organon
Laboratories is one of three pharmaceutical companies to manufacture
the contraceptive pill Femodene which more than 100 women are claiming
to have been damaged by. The High Court has dismissed the case.
REUTERS/Michael Crabtree

A koala sits in a tree outside the home of John Kouwenberg (R) in the
Australian town of Port Macquarie in this April 17, 2002 file photo.
Female koalas are being given contraception in the Australian state of
Victoria because the population is eating itself out of house and home.
Parks Victoria is planning to inject a small tube containing the same
hormones as the contraceptive pill under the skin of around 3,000 wild
female koalas in the Mount Eccles National Park, 300 km (186 miles)
southwest of Melbourne. REUTERS/Davd Gray/Files

DG/PB

Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co Ltd and Nihon Schering announce Japan's first low-dose contraceptive pills "Libian 28" (L) and "Triquilar 21" in the Japanese market during a news conference in Tokyo August 26. The products will be launched September 2. Japanese pharmaceutical company Yamanouchi and German drug maker Schering AG said during the news conference that they aim for combined annual sales in Japan of three billion yen for the jointly developed birth control pills in three years.
??»

Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co Ltd and Nihon Schering announce Japan's first low-dose contraceptive pills "Libian 28" (L) and "Triquilar 21" in the Japanese market during a news conference in Tokyo August 26. The products will be launched September 2. Japanese pharmaceutical company Yamanouchi and German drug maker Schering AG said during the news conference that they aim for combined annual sales in Japan of three billion yen for the jointly developed birth control pills in three years.

KM/DL/JDP

Condomania shop manager Kazuoki Takasugi shows off packs of condoms at his shop, which is devoted to the sale of many different kinds of condoms, in Tokyo March 3. Condoms are the main form of birth control in Japan, whose government refused again to approve the birth control pill on Wednesday. Although there is hope the ban may be lifted later this year, Japan remains the only industrialised nation to prohibit the use of the pill for contraceptive purposes.

ST/CC

Prof. Valerie Beral Director of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund's Cancer Epidemiology Unit poses for pictures prior to her news conference on the long term effects of the oral contraceptive pill on the development of cancer January 7. The overall conclusion is that the effects of the pill on mortality from cancer and other diseases disappear within ten years of giving up this form of contraception.
??»

Prof. Valerie Beral (L) Director of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund's Cancer Epidemiology Unit chats with Dr. Clifford Kay, founding director of the Royal College of General Practitioner's Research Unit prior to their news conference on the long term effects of the oral contraceptive pill on the development of cancer January 7. The overall conclusion is that the effects of the pill on mortality from cancer and other diseases disappear within ten years of giving up this form of contraception. ??»

Prof. Valerie Beral Director of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund's Cancer Epidemiology Unit poses for pictures prior to her news conference on the long term effects of the oral contraceptive pill on the development of cancer January 7. The overall conclusion is that the effects of the pill on mortality from cancer and other diseases disappear within ten years of giving up this form of contraception.

AS/AA

Prof. Valerie Beral (L) Director of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund's Cancer Epidemiology Unit chats with Dr. Clifford Kay, founding director of the Royal College of General Practitioner's Research Unit prior to their news conference on the long term effects of the oral contraceptive pill on the development of cancer January 7. The overall conclusion is that the effects of the pill on mortality from cancer and other diseases disappear within ten years of giving up this form of contraception.

AS/AA

Japanese women look through reports as they listen to a Health Ministry committee meeting which is considering the approval of the birth control pill June 16. For the first time, Japanese women have come out in force asking the committee to approve the use of the pill. More than thirty years after the pill was introduced in the West, Japan is the only major country in the world to ban the pill for contraceptive purposes.

JAPAN PILL