Assessment of Unmet Needs of Family Planning in Extended Postpartum Period in Women of Urban Slum of Maharashtra

Abstract

Abstract Context: Unmet need for family planning (FP) refers to the gap between the intentions to use FP methods and actual use. This poses a challenge to the FP program. Aims: The aim of this study was to find out the extent of unmet needs, associated sociodemographic factors, and possible reasons for unmet needs among women during the extended postpartum period (EPP). Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional analytical study in a slum community of Nagpur coming under a preview of urban primary health center. Subjects and Methods: The listing of females who are in EPP was made. Two hundred seventy women were selected by systematic random sampling for a period of 7 months in an urban slum using pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics was used for summarization of the data. Statistical association was determined using the Chi-square test. Results: In the present study, the extent of unmet needs during EPP was 145 (39.189%), 110 (75.862%) for spacing the birth, and 35 (24.137%) for limiting the birth. Unmet need was significantly associated with socioeconomic status and number of living children. The main reason for the unmet need for FP was fear of side effects. (n = 127, 87.56%). Conclusions: The extended period of postpartum is an opportunity to provide FP services by adding more components on counseling and alleviating fear among women.