THE USE OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHOD PATTERNS: EVALUATION AT FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS

Abstract

Objective: Family planning is one of key responsibilities of family physicians; providing birth control methods, and ensuring its practical application remains important for maternal and child health. The aim of this study is to determine the contraception methods used by the individuals who applied to Family Health Centers (FHC) and to reveal the relationship between family planning methods chosen. Material and Methods: A descriptive research method was adopted for this study using the follow-up records of the FHCs. One thousand two hundred thirty-two follow-up records in total were accessed between March 2018 and December 2018, and SPSS 21.0 was used for data analysis. Results: Mean ranks provide evidence that age scores were higher for the users of tubal ligation, and this group had significantly more children than the users of combined oral contraceptives (p<0.001), condom (p<0.001) and intrauterine device (p=0.043). When all the follow-ups were evaluated, it was seen that the number of people who did not use contraceptive methods was high. Conclusion: Family planning and sexual education are associated with the availability and sustainability of resources that are crucial for healthcare. It remains important to provide Family Planning counseling to those who do not use any contraceptive method during the follow-up.