Modern Family Planning Methods Research Articles

Theory of Planned Behavior: Determinants of the Use of Modern Family Planning Method

Background: The use of contraception tool is one of the factors that affect fertility. It is influ­en­ced by demographic, socio-economic, legal, political and environmental factors. The use of mo­dern family planning method can provide optimal benefits by minimizing side effects and complaints felt by the community. The aim is to analyze the determinants of the use of modern fa­mily planning method in Malinau District, North Kalimantan by using the theory of planned behavior. Subjects and Method: This was an observational analytic study with cross sectional appro­ach conducted in 4 (four) sub-districts in Malinau District, North Kalimantan, in December 2018 to January 2019. Total 200 subjects were selected by fixed disease sampling. The de­pen­dent variable was the mothers who applied the modern family planning method. The inde­pen­dent variables were maternal age, parity, area of residence, level of education, family income, per­ception, intention, attitude, and subjective norms. The data were collected by question­nai­res and analyzed with path analysis. Results: The use of modern family planning method in women is directly and positively influ­en­ced by parity ≥ 4 (b = 3.03; 95% CI = 1.23 to 4.83; p <0.001), high family income (b = 4.57; 95% CI = 2.66 to 6.47; p <0.001), positive attitude (b = 3.92; 95% CI = 1.42 to 6.42; p = 0.002), and strong intention (b = 4.84; 95% CI = 2.85 to 6.82; p <0.001). The use of modern fa­mily planning method for women is indirectly influenced by the level of education and sub­ject­ive norms. Conclusions: The use of modern family planning method in women is directly and positively influenced by parity ≥ 4, high family income, positive attitude, and strong intention. The use of modern family planning methods for women is indirectly influenced by the level of education and subjective norms. Keywords: modern contraceptive methods, Theory of Planned Behavior Correspondence: Yuliana Agus. Masters Program In Public Health, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36 A, Surakarta 57126, Central Java. Email: yulianaagus07@gmail.com . Mobile: 085343928921 Journal of Maternal and Child Health (2019), 4(5): 369-379 https://doi.org/10.26911/thejmch.2019.04.05.11

Contraceptive behavior among ever-married reproductive age women in the estate sector in the district of Ratnapura, Sri Lanka

Background: Modern family planning (FP) methods remain the most effective means of reducing unmet need and its consequences including unplanned pregnancies. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the contraceptive practice and unmet need for FP among 15–49-year-old ever-married women in estate sector in Ratnapura district. Materials and Methods: A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using interviewer-administered questionnaire to assess contraceptive behavior among 15–49-year-old ever-married women in estate sector. Results: Contraceptive prevalence for the study group (n = 818) was 67.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 64.5–71.5) with the prevalence of 65.4% (95% CI: 62.0–68.7) for modern methods and 2.3% (95% CI: 1.5–3.4) for natural and traditional methods. The prevalence individual methods were 22.75% for female sterilization, 14.91% for injectables, 14.06% for oral contraceptives, 6.36% for intrauterine devices, 5.38% for subdermal implants, 1.85% for condoms, and 0.01% male sterilization. The prevalence of unmet need for FP was 16.3% (95% CI: 13.8–18.7) (n = 133) while that for spacing was 6.6% (95% CI: 5.4–7.8) (n = 53) and for limiting was 9.7 (95% CI: 8.2–11.2) (n = 80). Unmet need for modern methods was 18.8% (95% CI: 15.9–21.3) (n = 152). Reasons for unmet need were infrequent sex (21.5%), fear of side effects (18.6%), and low perceived risk of pregnancy (16.6%). Conclusions: Although contraceptive prevalence is high in estates, existence of high level of unmet need with reasons related to lack of awareness indicates the need of intervention studies to reduce unmet need and its consequences.

Modern family planning use among people living with HIV/AIDS: a facility based study in Ethiopia.

IntroductionDespite increasing efforts to address the reproductive health needs of persons living with Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV), a high unmet need for contraception exists among HIV+ women in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, Ethiopia promotes integration of family planning (FP) services in to HIV chronic care. Yet the contraceptive prevalence rate among clients remains low. The objective of the study was to assess the role of socio-cultural factors on modern family planning use among HIV+ clients attending Anti-Retroviral Therapy clinics in Addis Ababa sub-cities.MethodsThe study involved a facility based cross sectional survey. The ten sub cities were initially categorized/stratified into 5 based on direction (East, West, South, North and Central) and from each category one sub city was randomly selected. The total sample size was proportionally allocated to the selected health facilities according to previous monthly average client load per health center. Participants were selected using simple random sampling technique during their routine visit at the health centers. Data were collected through a semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were generated and results considered significant at 95% confidence level using STATA version 14.0.ResultsSix hundred and thirty-six clients participated in the study. Majority of them were age between 30-39 years. Though majority, 607 (95.4%) participants approved the use of modern FP method, current use rate stood at 39%. Condom was the most (14.5%) commonly used single method. The odds of FP use by participants who disclosed their HIV status were almost twice that of their counterparts (AOR= 1.84; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.95). Participants who held discussion with their spouse/partners concerning FP, irrespective of the frequency had an odd of more than four when using FP than their counterparts (AO= 4.35; 95% CI: 2.69, 7.04).ConclusionThis study revealed that 6 out of every 10 HIV+ clients are not currently using FP methods. Disclosure of HIV status as well as open discussion with spouse/partner were positively associated with family planning use. These study findings call for comprehensive and client focus FP education and counseling in line with disclosure of HIV status and dialogue with spouse/partner in order to increase uptake and utilization of FP among clients. Partners have a great influence on the use and choice of FP methods, so their views are paramount.

Effect of Family Planning Counseling After Delivery on Contraceptive Use at 24 Weeks Postpartum in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Introduction Unintended pregnancy during the postpartum period is common. The aim of this study was to describe contraceptive use among postpartum women and assess whether family planning counseling offered by health care providers during well-baby clinic visits increased use of modern contraceptive methods at 6 months following delivery. Methods Data comes from a cohort of women enrolled in a breastfeeding promotion trial in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo who reported being sexually active at 24-weeks post-partum. Modern contraceptive methods included intrauterine devices, injectables, implants, and contraception pills. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odd ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the impact of nurse counseling on use of modern birth control methods. Results Of 522 participants who reported being sexually active, 251 (48.0%) reported doing at least one thing to avoid pregnancy and were included in this analysis. Of these 251, 14.3% were using a modern contraceptive method, despite availability at the clinic. Discussion with a nurse about family planning was associated with increased odds of using modern birth control relative to other methods (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.9, 8.6). Discussion Discussion of family planning with a nurse increased the odds of using a modern contraceptive among postpartum women. Integration of family planning counseling into postpartum services offers a potential avenue to increase modern contraceptive use among women with access.

Using Marketing Science to Understand Contraceptive Demand in High-Fertility Niger.

Global initiatives aim to add 120 million new family planning (FP) users by 2020; however supply‐side interventions may be reaching the limits of their effectiveness in some settings. Our case study in Niger used demand analysis techniques from marketing science. We performed a representative survey (N = 2,004) on women's FP knowledge, attitudes, needs, and behaviors, then used latent class analysis to produce a segmentation of women based on their responses. We found that Nigerien women's demand for modern FP methods was low, with majorities aware of modern methods but much smaller proportions considering use, trying modern methods, or using one consistently. We identified five subgroups of women with distinct, internally coherent profiles regarding FP needs, attitudes, and usage patterns, who faced different barriers to adopting or using modern FP. Serving subgroups of women based on needs, values, and underlying beliefs may help more effectively drive a shift in FP behavior.

The Dark Side of Female HIV Patient Care: Sexual and Reproductive Health Risks in Pre- and Post-Clinical Treatments

This study examines the pre- and post-clinical issues in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care and treatment for women and girls of high-risk population groups—namely sex workers, injecting drug users, women living with HIV, primary sexual partners of people living with HIV, adolescent girls who are children of these groups, and migrant young girls and women—in five provinces and cities in Vietnam. Through a sample of 241 surveyed participants and 48 respondents for in-depth interviews and 32 respondents in the focus group discussions, the study identifies multiple barriers that keep these groups from receiving the proper health care that is well within their human rights. Most respondents rated HIV testing as easily accessible, yet only 18.9% of the surveyed women living with HIV disclosed their infection status, while 37.8% gave no information at the most recent prenatal care visit. The level of knowledge and proper practices of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care also remains limited. Meanwhile, modern birth control methods have yet to be widely adopted among these populations: only 30.7% of respondents reported using condoms when having sex with their husband. This increases the risks of unwanted pregnancy and abortion, as well as vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV transmission. On the other hand, HIV-related stigma and discrimination at health care settings are still pervasive, which create significant barriers for patients to access proper care services. Based on these results, six recommendations to improve SRH status of women and girls of populations at high risk are put forward.

Client and provider factors associated with integration of family planning services among maternal and reproductive health clients in Kigoma Region, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study, April\u2013July 2016

BackgroundIntegration of family planning (FP) services into non-FP care visits is an essential strategy for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality through reduction of short birth intervals and unplanned pregnancies.MethodsCross-sectional surveys were conducted across 61 facilities in Kigoma Region, Tanzania, April–July 2016. Multilevel, mixed effects logistic regression analyses were conducted on matched data from providers (n = 330) and clients seeking delivery (n = 935), well-baby (n = 272), pregnancy loss (PL; n = 229), and other routine (postnatal, HIV/STI, other; n = 69) services. Outcomes of interest included receipt of FP information and a modern FP method (significance level p < 0.05).ResultsClients had significantly greater odds of receiving FP information if the primary reason for seeking care was for PL versus (vs) any other types of care (aOR 1.97), had four or more pregnancies vs fewer (aOR 1.78), and had had a FP discussion with their partner vs no FP discussion (aOR 1.73). Clients had lower odds of receiving FP information if they were aged 40–49 vs 15–19 (aOR 0.50) and reported attending religious services at least weekly vs less frequently (aOR 0.61). Clients of providers who perceived that in-service training had helped vs had not helped job performance (aOR 2.27), and clients of providers having high vs low recent FP training index scores (aOR 1.58) had greater odds of receiving FP information.Clients had greater odds of receiving a modern method when they received information on two or more vs fewer methods (aOR 7.13), had had a FP discussion with their partner vs no discussion (aOR 5.87), if the primary reason for seeking care was for PL vs any other types of care (aOR 4.08), had zero vs one or more live births (aOR 3.92), made their own FP decisions vs not made own FP decisions (aOR 3.17), received FP information from two or more vs fewer sources (aOR 3.12), and were in the middle or high vs the low wealth tercile (aOR 1.99 and 2.30, respectively). Well-baby care clients, Other routine services clients, and married clients had significantly lower odds of receiving a method (aOR 0.14; aOR 0.08; and aOR 0.41, respectively) compared to their counterparts.ConclusionsStrategies that better integrate FP into routine care visits, encourage women to have FP discussions with their partners and providers, increase FP training among providers, and expand FP options and sources of information may help reduce the unmet need for FP, and ultimately lower maternal and neonatal mortality.

Perceptions and Acceptance of Levonorgestrel Implants among Family Planning Clients within greater Banjul Area, The Gambia

A better understanding of women’s perception of levonorgestrel implants has the potential to help women and their partners freely choose the number and spacing of their children and thus, increase contraceptive prevalence. The contraceptive prevalence rate is very low in the Gambia; only 8 per cent of the women of reproductive age use modern methods of family planning and 1 per cent using traditional methods and an implant utilization rate of 3.9%. Therefore, the purpose of the study is centered on exploring the perceptions and acceptance level of Levonorgestrel Implants among family planning (FP) clients in Western Health Region One (WHR, 1). The perception and acceptance of implants among users is not well documented in the Gambia despite established knowledge of availability at little or no cost in most health facilities. A phenomenological qualitative study design was employed and twelve women were purposively selected from two hospitals to serve as participants. Focus group discussions were used as data collection method among six women per discussion. Qualitative data analysis method used for the study was the Editing Analysis Style where, the data were interpreted in search of meaningful segments and units. The data were analyzed using themes and categorizing the responses of the participants under each theme with verbatim quotes used wherever necessary. Sociodemographic findings revealed that majority of the women were between the ages of 30-39 (SD± 5.35) ranging from 25 to 45 years with a mean age of 32.75 years. More than half of the study participants had between 1-4 children (n = 7, 58.33), with a mean parity of 3.75 (SD±2.48). Almost all of them were Muslims (n =11, 91.66 %). All of them received some form of education with the highest level being secondary (Conventional) (n = 6, 50%). Majority were housewives (n= 6, 50%), married (n = 11, 91.66%). The findings showed that six themes emerged from both Focus Group Discussions where the majority of the respondents gave similar answers. The themes that were reported on were; efficacy, service provider’s attitude, husband/spousal approval, undesired effects, myths and misconceptions, and satisfaction. In conclusion, the use of Implants for family planning depends on clients’ perceptions. Therefore, understanding client’s perceptions on implants would help to improve prevalence, thus reducing unintended pregnancies, induced abortions, short birth intervals, fertility rates and maternal mortality and morbidity in the country.

Rationale, design, and characteristics of the multimedia family planning campaign for a small, happy, and prosperous family in Ethiopia (SHaPE)

BackgroundEthiopia, the second most populous country in Africa, has a total fertility rate of 4.6, a decrease from 5.5 in 2000. However, only 35.3% of women in the reproductive age group use modern family planning (FP) methods, and the 22.3% of them who have an unmet need for family planning is among the highest rates in sub-Saharan African countries. The Small, Happy, and Prosperous family in Ethiopia (SHaPE) is one of the country’s first comprehensive multimedia family planning campaigns. Its purpose is to increase FP-related knowledge, attitude, and practice of Ethiopians, particularly women of reproductive age.Methods/DesignThe SHaPE campaign has multiple components: (1) a nationwide representative survey, which serves as formative research to identify region-specific and culture-appropriate media, messages, and barriers and determinants of family planning; (2) a multimedia communication campaign intervention, including radio dramas and other interpersonal, community-level, and mass media channels; and (3) campaign evaluation, including pre-, process-, and post-evaluation research using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The main target population for SHaPE is reproductive age women and men in three regions: Amhara, Oromia, and Somali. These regions take up about 66.6% of the entire country and have distinct ethnicities, cultures, and languages.DiscussionSHaPE contributes to existing family planning research and intervention because it is theory- and evidence-based, and it employs integrated marketing communications and entertainment-education approaches with key messages that are tailored to audiences within unique cultures. But even within a country, a nationwide campaign with uniform messages is neither possible nor desirable due to different cultures, norms, and languages across regions. Last, media campaigns in developing and underdeveloped countries require constant monitoring of political situations.

Market-testing a smartphone application for family planning: assessing potential of the CycleBeads app in seven countries through digital monitoring

The advent of new technological approaches to family planning has the potential to address unmet need in low- and middle-income countries. Provision of fertility awareness-based apps have the ability to provide accessible, direct-to-user fertility information to help women achieve their reproductive goals. The CycleBeads app, a digital platform for the Standard Days Method (SDM), a modern method of family planning, helps women achieve or prevent pregnancy, or track their cycles using the only their period start dates. Brief social marketing campaigns were launched by the app developer to monitor cost and distribution of the CycleBeads app, understand the user profile, and assess user experience. Monitoring and evaluation through in-app micro surveys occurred over a 6-cycle period in seven countries: Egypt, Ghana, India, Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria, and Rwanda. In-app micro-surveys were utilized to collect data around demographics, mode of use of the app, prior experiences with family planning, and satisfaction to better understand women's interactions with the apps, and the possibility for meeting unmet need. Analyzes focused on women who were using the app to prevent pregnancy or track their cycles. Social media campaigns proved to be an easy, low-cost approach to advertising the CycleBeads app. As a result, 356,520 women downloaded the app, and the cost to the advertiser per download ranged from $0.17-0.69. A majority of app users were between 20-29 years old, married or in exclusive relationships. Overall, 39.9% of users were using the app to prevent pregnancy, 38.5% to plan a pregnancy, and 21.6% were tracking their cycles. Among the users preventing pregnancy, 64.1% of women had not used a family planning method 3 months before downloading the CycleBeads app. One-third of users who were using the app to track their cycles, reported that they had not been using any form of family planning. In all seven countries, nearly 60% of women reported that they would definitely recommend the CycleBeads app to a friend, indicating their satisfaction with the app. Our main findings indicate that a social media campaign is a low-cost approach to making the CycleBeads app accessible to women. The app addresses multiple reproductive intentions and attracts a diverse demographic of users across different life stages. For many women the app was the first modern method they used in the last 3 months, showing that fertility awareness-based apps have the potential to address an unmet need. Future studies should focus on changes in behavior during the fertile window, partner communication, and future family planning intentions.

‘Two children to make ends meet’: the ideal family size, parental responsibilities and costs of children on two sides of the Iron Curtain during the post-war fertility decline

One of the major corollaries of the post-war fertility boom and decline is that two-child families became common across Europe after the 1970s. Despite the general agreement on the convergence of fertility trends, there is still little understanding of how this change took place in a comparative perspective of Western and Eastern Europe, which at that time were characterised by Cold War tensions of different ideological regimes. This study addresses this aspect by focusing on individual decisions around childbearing, child-rearing and family size. Based on 104 oral histories from Switzerland and Ukraine, this study illuminates that the urban setting provided parents with a similar set of constraints and opportunities, which eventually resulted in strikingly similar perceptions of the costs of childrearing on two sides of the Iron Curtain. Individuals’ motives to postpone first birth in Switzerland and second birth in Ukraine rested on a similar aspiration to invest in the well-being of children by ensuring material security for the family. This aim was increasingly achieved through female labour-force participation and adoption of modern contraception – the pill in Switzerland and abortion in Ukraine. While the timing of returning to the labour market and the share of women working after entering parenthood might have varied across the two contexts, a good mother became increasingly defined in both contexts in terms of providing emotionally and financially for her children. Although the introduction of modern birth control methods allowed couples to plan family size more carefully, it also made Swiss and Ukrainian women increasingly carry the major costs and actual burden of birth control. Altogether, this study challenges the common assumption around the persistence of strikingly different demographic realities in post-war Western and Eastern Europe by uncovering the mechanisms behind the stabilisation of family size around the two-child family ideal.

Factors influencing the practice of modern family planning methods among married women in Ethiopia: evidence from the2005 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey

AbstractBackground: Ethiopia is characterized by high fertility rate even when compared with many Sub- Saharan Africancountries. The practice of modern family planning (FP) methods is also low. Thus, exploring factors that determine thepractice of modern FP methods is vital in order to come up with strategies that alleviate the consequences of unmet need forFP.Objective: The objective of this study was to examine and determine factors that predict the practice of modern FP amongmarried women of reproductive age group in Ethiopia and illustrate aspects of data limitations and efforts on how to applymethods in providing estimations about selected determinants of contraceptive use.Method: The 2005 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) was the source of data. The survey had collectedreproductive health related data on 9066 married women. Univariate analysis was employed to identify the associationbetween the independent explanatory variables and the practice of modern FP methods; and multivariate logistic regressionanalysis was employed in predicting which factors determined contraceptive practice.Results: Univariate analysis of the independent explanatory variables including age of women, place of residence, number ofliving children, education and wealth index were found to be statistically significantly associated with the practice of modernFP methods. Multivariate logistic regression analysis has shown that place of residence, education level and wealth index tobe potential predictors of the practice of modern FP methods.Conclusion: Differences in fertility level and the practice of modern FP methods reflect differences in socio-economic statusand place of residence (Ethiopian Journal of Reproductive Health, 2012; 6(1): 4-13).Key words: family planning, modern methods, married women, practices, Ethiopia

Current Situation of Utilization of Modern Family Planning Methods in Dhaka City

Current Situation of Utilization of Modern Family Planning Methods in Dhaka City

Use of Modern Family Planning Methods among Women of South-Western Nigeria: A Snapshot

Use of Modern Family Planning Methods among Women of South-Western Nigeria: A Snapshot

Biopolitics and (Non-)Modernity. Population Micro-Policy, Expert Knowledge and Family in Late-Communist Poland

This article seeks to investigate the problem of modernity in post-war communist Poland (People’s Republic of Poland, Pol.: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa , PRL) through the prism of concepts and ideas of model family and possibilities of shaping it, as promoted in the expert discourse and guidance practices. On the interpretation level, it is important to refer to modern – that is, rational and expert knowledgepropelled – social control methods, strictly connected with the concepts or ideas of modern society. The crucial aspect is the tension between biopolitics understood in terms of actions and strategies of modern dictatorship devised to control a population and the concepts of modernity that appeared in expert discourses in the context of, i.a. , decreasing natality, modern birth control methods or practices related to maternity/paternity. Analysed are experts’ opinions proving dominant in the discourse, including the arguments put forth at sessions of the Family Council and the Planned Parenthood Association.

Knowledge, Attitude and Acceptance of Modern Family Planning Method Among Women Attending Post–Natal Clinic in Ayeka Basic Health Centre in Okitipupa Local Government Area, Ondo State, Nigeria

Knowledge, Attitude and Acceptance of Modern Family Planning Method Among Women Attending Post–Natal Clinic in Ayeka Basic Health Centre in Okitipupa Local Government Area, Ondo State, Nigeria

Postpartum Family Planning: Missed Opportunities across the Continuum of Care

Postpartum family planning is defined as the prevention of unintended pregnancies and closely spaced pregnancies during the first 12 months following childbirth. To assess the practice of family planning (FP) by postpartum mothers in the Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) division, Kalutara, Sri Lanka. A community-based, descriptive, cross sectional study was carried out among mothers, 8 to 12 weeks postpartum, in the RDHS division, Kalutara in 2014. Calculated sample size was 1200 and the participants were recruited using cluster sampling method. They were interviewed at their residence about their practice of FP methods using an interviewer administered questionnaire. The response rate was 93.7% (n=1112) of which 730 (65.6%) were practicing a FP method at 8-12 weeks after delivery. Condoms were the most popular modern FP method (30.4%, n=222) followed by intrauterine device (26.7%, n=195) and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) injections (22.9%, n=167). Approximately 80% had utilized government sector FP services. Women with higher level of education (p< 0.05), lower family income (p< 0.01), parity more than 3 (p< 0.001) and more than three living children (p<0.01) were significantly more likely to use a FP method. Prevalence of postpartum FP is not satisfactory. Therefore, FP services should consider reaching postpartum mothers with unmet needs as a priority and ensure that a wide range of contraceptive options are available to them. Postpartum FP should be considered as a continuum of maternal care.

Contraceptive uptake after training community health workers in couples counseling: A cluster randomized trial.

BackgroundYoung women in Malawi face many challenges in accessing family planning (FP), including distance to the health facility and partner disapproval. Our primary objective was to assess if training HSAs in couples counseling would increase modern FP uptake among young women.MethodsIn this cluster randomized controlled trial, 30 HSAs from Lilongwe, Malawi received training in FP. The HSAs were then randomized 1:1 to receive or not receive additional training in couples counseling. All HSAs were asked to provide FP counseling to women in their communities and record their contraceptive uptake over 6 months. Sexually-active women <30 years of age who had never used a modern FP method were included in this analysis. Generalized estimating equations with an exchangeable correlation matrix to account for clustering by HSA were used to estimate risk differences (RDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results430 (53%) young women were counseled by the 15 HSAs who received couples counseling training, and 378 (47%) were counseled by the 15 HSAs who did not. 115 (26%) from the couples counseling group had male partners present during their first visit, compared to only 6 (2%) from the other group (RD: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.33, p<0.01). Nearly all (99.5%) initiated a modern FP method, with no difference between groups (p = 0.09). Women in the couples counseling group were 8% more likely to receive male condoms (RD: 0.08, 95% CI: -7% to 23%, p = 0.28) and 8% more likely to receive dual methods (RD: 0.08, 95% CI: -0.065, 0.232, p = 0.274).ConclusionTraining HSAs in FP led to high modern FP uptake among young women who had never used FP. Couples counseling training increased male involvement with a trend towards higher male condom uptake.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Yemeni Women Attending Primary Healthcare Centers in Sana’a City towards Family Planning

Objective: To investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) of Yemeni women attending primary healthcare centers (PHCCs) in Sana’a city towards family planning (FP).Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among women attending three PHCCs in Sana'a city; namely, in Hadah, Al-Soneinah and Madhbah zones, between 21 November and 1 December 2011. The study included a sample of 281 married women, where data about socio-demographic characteristics and the KAPs towards FP were collected by interviewing women using a pre-designed, structured questionnaire and then analyzed using appropriate statistical tests.Results: Of the married women attending the PHCCs in Sana'a, the majority of respondents were from urban areas (96.4%; 271/281), aged between 25–29 years old (23.1% 65/281), employed (75.8%; 213/281) and with primary or secondary levels of education (60.9%; 171/281). In addition, the majority of women had a marriage length of 6–11 years (65.5%; 182/281) and 3–4 children (44.8%; 126/281). The majority of respondents (89.7%) knew about FP, and 60.2% considered it as birth spacing. Moreover, most respondents (87.5%) were aware of at least four methods of FP, and 53.6% heard of modern FP contraceptive methods. Of them, 85.9% and 74.0% heard of contraceptive pills and intrauterine contraceptive devices (ICDU), respectively; however, the least known contraceptive method was the use of male condoms (28.1%). Healthcare providers were the source of information on FP for the majority of respondents (60.5%). The majority of respondents believed that the optimum spacing between births should be two or three years, being 31.7% and 38.8%, respectively. In addition, most respondents (80.8%) believed that both couples must share the decision-making on FP. Socio-cultural beliefs and values were thought to be the most common (57.3%) barriers to the practice of FP.Conclusions: Although the majority of Yemeni women seeking healthcare after marriage have a good level of knowledge of several traditional and modern methods of FP and their preference of long birth spacing, the use of such methods is still limited to contraceptive pills and ICDU. Therefore, attention should be paid to health education of women on the benefits of using other alternative methods of FP for better family lifestyle, health and well-being.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Yemeni Women Attending Primary Healthcare Centers in Sana’a City towards Family Planning

Objective : To investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) of Yemeni women attending primary healthcare centers (PHCCs) in Sana’a city towards family planning (FP). Methods : A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among women attending three PHCCs in Sana'a city; namely, in Hadah, Al-Soneinah and Madhbah zones, between 21 November and 1 December 2011. The study included a sample of 281 married women, where data about socio-demographic characteristics and the KAPs towards FP were collected by interviewing women using a pre-designed, structured questionnaire and then analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Of the married women attending the PHCCs in Sana'a, the majority of respondents were from urban areas (96.4%; 271/281), aged between 25–29 years old (23.1% 65/281), employed (75.8%; 213/281) and with primary or secondary levels of education (60.9%; 171/281). In addition, the majority of women had a marriage length of 6–11 years (65.5%; 182/281) and 3–4 children (44.8%; 126/281). The majority of respondents (89.7%) knew about FP, and 60.2% considered it as birth spacing. Moreover, most respondents (87.5%) were aware of at least four methods of FP, and 53.6% heard of modern FP contraceptive methods. Of them, 85.9% and 74.0% heard of contraceptive pills and intrauterine contraceptive devices (ICDU), respectively; however, the least known contraceptive method was the use of male condoms (28.1%). Healthcare providers were the source of information on FP for the majority of respondents (60.5%). The majority of respondents believed that the optimum spacing between births should be two or three years, being 31.7% and 38.8%, respectively. In addition, most respondents (80.8%) believed that both couples must share the decision-making on FP. Socio-cultural beliefs and values were thought to be the most common (57.3%) barriers to the practice of FP. Conclusions : Although the majority of Yemeni women seeking healthcare after marriage have a good level of knowledge of several traditional and modern methods of FP and their preference of long birth spacing, the use of such methods is still limited to contraceptive pills and ICDU. Therefore, attention should be paid to health education of women on the benefits of using other alternative methods of FP for better family lifestyle, health and well-being.