Is There Family Planning After Birth?

Abstract

Post-partum Family Planning: A Report on the International Program ed. Gerald I. Zatuchini M.D. McGraw Hill New York 1971 is commende because it documents the widely-held assumption that the postdelivery or postabortal period is the optimum time for the introduction of family planning to a receptive woman and provides insight into such central areas in the field of family planning strategy and operations training and education of the professional and paraprofession personnel achievements and problems of hospital programs contraceptive methods and medical sequelae and marketing techniques. The authors of the separate chapters were for the most part project investigators associated with the Population Councils demonstration Post-partum Family Planning Program in 26 hospitals in 14 countries both developed and developing. One part of the book makes a valuable contribution to methodology in collaborative action-research. Other parts emphasize that postpartum family planning can be effective only in reducing the number of unwanted births. The reciprocal relationship between family planning and health underlies the postpartum program. The reviewer observes that the net result however is not population control notwithstanding the favorable effects on population dynamics: improved living conditions are necessary to curb population growth.