Perceptions Of Family Planning Research Articles

Impact of Policy Changes and Program Support on Family Planning Goals among Plastic Surgery Trainees.

In 2020, the American Board of Plastic Surgeons announced an update in the leave policy for plastic surgery trainees, extending personal leave to 12 weeks without delay in graduation. Simultaneously, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education announced their update in lactation policy. This study sought to understand the influence of the policy change on plastic surgery trainees' goals for family planning and lactation. An online 32-question survey was developed to evaluate plastic surgery trainees' perceptions of family planning and perceived program support in the United States. The survey was approved by the American Council of Academic Plastic Surgeons Research Committee and sent out to a total of 216 plastic surgery programs. One hundred thirty plastic surgery trainees completed the survey. Most respondents were women, between the ages of 30 and 34 years, and married. Forty-five (34.6%) respondents or their partners had experienced pregnancy or live birth during their training. More than 70% did not feel that they had adequate time for leave. Female trainees faced more barriers than men, including having a partner in training, concern for their pregnancy, and burdening their co-residents during leave. The majority stated that their decision to apply to plastic surgery residency was influenced by program support for family planning compared with policy changes. This survey highlighted that the new policies benefit trainees who consider starting a family during training. Despite this, there are still challenges that need to be addressed to help foster a fair environment for trainees to work and have a family.

Exploring Cultural Hindrances: A Thorough Examination of Men's Views on Family Planning, Decision-Making Authority, and Use of Contraception

The wellbeing of individuals and families is dependent on family planning, which is also necessary to promote reproductive health. Although women's viewpoints and experiences have received a lot of attention in the field of family planning, whereas men's views and perceptions have often been overlooked. The purpose of this study is to learn more about men's perceptions of family planning and its impact on reproductive health outcomes. In order to obtain more specific information, the study employs a qualitative research approach and conducts in-depth interviews with men for data collection. In order to capture a wide range of viewpoints and experiences about family planning, the research participants are drawn from a variety of different age groups, socio-economic backgrounds, and cultural settings. The results of the study show that a significant number of males think that different cultural barriers, like financial constraints, less awareness, religious limitations are leading causative barriers of family planning. However, findings of the study also revealed that men’s perceptions and practices about the utility of contraception heavily depends on family setup. Hence, a split among men was observed regarding these methods in religious families. Some males were against such practices while others preferred these practices because of its effectiveness to control birth rate and securing well-being of the individuals.

The Perceived Intersection of Parenting and Physician Assistant Training Among Current Physician Assistant Students.

Despite recent advancements in policies supporting pregnancy and parenting-related resources for physician assistant (PA) students, there remains a paucity of data on the perceptions of family planning or available resources during training. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of support for, and impact on, family planning and parenting, including lactation, among PA students. This cross-sectional study used data collected from the American Academy of Physician Associates Student Survey between January and March 2023. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed. A total of 557 students (557/1353; 41.2%) completed the survey. Less than 15% of students (14.4%) believed their program provides resources to support parental leave, and many students (52.1%) remained unsure whether resources exist(ed). There was a significant difference for PA students ( P = .005) by gender in whether family planning affected the decision to pursue PA training over another profession, with female students proportionately affected more than male students. Medical school was the most often considered aside from PA training. Most PA students (311/548; 56.8%) also felt pressure to wait until after training to have children. In addition, multiple students (26/554; 4.7%) admitted to being asked questions they believed were biased or inappropriate regarding pregnancy or parenting during the interview process for, or after beginning, PA school. Programs should seek opportunities to support students through all stages of family planning. Support will require both cultural and structural shifts beginning with peer stigma and extending through admissions interview question audits, faculty training, university policies, and accreditation requirements.

A Comparative Qualitative Survey of Male Involvement in Family Planning in Urban and Rural Communities of Sokoto State, Nigeria

Background: Nigeria's total fertility rate has remained high despite decades of family planning (FP) programmes. Studies have identified men as barriers to the use of contraceptives by women. The study aimed to explore and compare the knowledge of FP, perception of FP, male involvement (MI) in FP, barriers and facilitators to MI in FP among men in urban and rural communities of Sokoto State.
 Methods: A comparative qualitative study was done among married men in urban and rural areas of Sokoto State in April 2019. Eight focus group discussions were conducted among 55 married men purposively selected and grouped based on educational status and age. Data were transcribed verbatim and content analysis on emerging themes was done.
 Results: The participants said that FP is beneficial to the mother, the child and the father. Almost all the participants expressed unwillingness to use or allow their wives to use the permanent methods of FP. Almost all the participants in the urban and rural groups said that men should be involved in FP. Religion and ignorance were the most common barriers mentioned in the urban and rural groups. Increasing awareness of FP, religious leaders and traditional rulers championing the issue of FP and increase commitment by the government were the facilitating factors of MI in FP.
 Conclusion: The participants said that FP is beneficial and that men should be involved in it. Sokoto State government should increase commitment to FP by carrying out state-wide campaigns and outreaches at regular intervals

Community perception of the determinants of unmet needs of family planning among married women in Buea Health District, Southwest Region, Cameroon.

in Cameroon, and more specifically in the Buea Health District of the Southwest Region, there are still a few unmet family planning needs. Many women desire to avoid getting pregnant, but do not use an effective form of birth control. A focus group discussion among married women in the Buea health district was necessary to explore the determinants of unmet family planning in order to promote access to and use of long-acting modern contraceptive methods because most research studies have only focused on the quantitative aspect. focus groups were held in the community and in the medical facilities as part of the study's qualitative exploratory strategy. To invite the participants, invitations were sent out. A qualitative survey of 10-12 respondents was carried out by the researcher, in each Focus Group the discussed topics included factors that encourage the use of FP methods, making the switch from traditional to modern FP methods, family planning methods decision-making, accessibility of FP in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each focus group discussion lasted 1 hour 30 minutes, the perception was collected in an audiotape recorder and later transcript verbatim. The team conducted 10 Focus Group Discussion (FGD) (four of each of the topic areas). The FGD team provided participants with light refreshments. a total of 10 focus groups were conducted, reaching a total participant of 107. The N-Vivo analysis software was used to analyze the data. The following are some of the key participant perceptions that have been reported. Perceptions of family planning; for health reasons as well as social expectations and pressures, having children earlier in marriage was a wise decision. While there are certain issues with having children early in life, such as the mother's maturity and financial stability, having a kid as soon as feasible is the best option. It is best to have children within the first two years of marriage, with a three-to-five-year gap between them. Reasons for changing from traditional to modern family planning; The most significant issues with current birth control techniques (such as condoms, pills (postinor-2), implants, injectables, and IUDs) are those that affect a woman's body. Regardless of the issues, they experience with contraception, there are some benefits to utilizing it. Both modern and classic FP methods have the potential to fail. Making family planning decisions; extended families, particularly mothers-in-law, have a strong influence on family planning and size decisions, and family members assist in resolving FP issues and challenges. Participants want to know about the adverse effects of current birth control techniques, especially in the long run, and how contraceptives affect a future pregnancy. Accessibility of FP in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic; participants have mixed perceptions of whether the COVID-19 context influences their accessibility to family planning. the focus groups demonstrated that participants have a nuanced and sophisticated awareness of pertinent topics that significantly impact them. While cultural and social conventions surrounding family planning difficulties and decision-making continue to put pressure on women, traditional and modern family planning methods are well-known. Participants also reported a strong desire to learn more about family planning alternatives, the effects of different methods on their bodies, and to have access to a wider selection of general and specialized family planning services. Fear was produced by the backdrop of COVID-19, but women are rapidly overcoming these fears to have access to family planning.

Experience of Contraception Drop Out in Women of Reliable Age

Contraceptive drop out is a public health problem that has a negative effect on women's reproductive health outcomes. A high proportion of contraceptive dropouts without a woman's desire to become pregnant is associated with unwanted pregnancies, unwanted births and unsafe abortions. This scoping review aims to map the literature, identify knowledge gaps and examine scientific evidence regarding the experience of contraceptive drop out in women of childbearing age (WUS). This scoping review method uses the Arksey and O'Malley framework, which starts from identifying scoping review questions using the PEOS framework; identify relevant articles; search for articles using relevant databases namely PubMed, ScienceDirect, EBSCO, Wiley, and Google Scholar; the flow of the article search process is explained through the PRISMA flowchart; perform critical appraisals; perform data charting; compiling, summarizing and reporting results. The results, based on 21 selected articles, obtained 19 articles with grade A and 2 articles grade B. Three themes were found in this scoping review, namely perceptions of family planning, factors causing family planning drop out, and obstacles. It can be concluded that the low level of information dissemination and education related to contraception from health workers can be one of the causes of the low level of awareness and knowledge of WUS regarding contraception, as well as the existence of obstacles in contraceptive services that can be a barrier in reducing contraceptive drop out rates in various countries.

Factors affecting family planning literacy among women of childbearing age in the rural Lake zone, Tanzania

BackgroundLow uptake of various recommended modern family planning methods is associated with inadequate family planning literacy among potential beneficiaries of the methods. As such, understanding factors affecting family planning literacy is key to addressing this problem. This study, therefore, explored factors affecting family planning literacy among women of childbearing age in the rural Lake Zone of Tanzania.MethodsThe study utilized an exploratory descriptive qualitative research approach using focus group discussions to collect data. A total of eight focus group discussion sessions were held to solicit information from childbearing age women involved in the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected from the study participants.ResultsSeveral factors were found to negatively affect the family planning literacy of women of childbearing age in the communities under review. These factors were low levels of education, religious affiliation, and low family income. Other factors that were also found to negatively affect women’s family planning literacy include fertility preference, negative perceptions of family planning, preference of unproven family planning methods, limited access to reliable sources of family planning information, household responsibilities, and poor male partner support on family planning matters.ConclusionThis study has identified a multitude of factors affecting the family planning literacy of women of childbearing age. These factors can limit the women’s capacity to make informed decisions on the utilization of modern family planning methods. Thus, addressing these factors is pivotal in increasing the women’s overall uptake of various recommended family planning methods and enhancing their reproductive health outcomes.

Improving provision of family planning among pastoralists in Kenya: Perspectives from health care providers, community and religious leaders

ABSTRACT There exist significant inequities in access to family planning (FP) in Kenya, particularly for nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralists. Health care providers (HCP), are key in delivering FP services. Community leaders and religious leaders are also key influencers in women’s decisions to use FP. We found limited research exploring the perspectives of both HCPs and these local leaders in this context. We conducted semi-structured interviews with HCPs (n=4) working in facilities in Wajir and Mandera, and community leaders (n=4) and religious leaders (n=4) from the nomadic and semi-nomadic populations the facilities serve. We conducted deductive and inductive thematic analysis. Three overarching themes emerged: perception of FP as a health priority, explanations for low FP use, and recommendations to improve access. Four overlapping sub-themes explained low FP use: desire for large families, tension in FP decision-making, religion and culture, and fears about FP. Providers were from different socio-demographic backgrounds to the communities they served, who faced structural marginalisation from health and other services. Programmes to improve FP access should be delivered alongside interventions targeting the immediate health concerns of pastoralist communities, incorporating structural changes. HCPs that are aware of religious and cultural reasons for non-use, play a key role in improving access.

Gender Differences in Perceptions of Family Planning and Fertility Preferences in Northern Nigeria

Gender Differences in Perceptions of Family Planning and Fertility Preferences in Northern Nigeria

Correlates of knowledge of family planning among people living in fishing communities of Lake Victoria, Uganda

BackgroundKnowledge of family planning (FP) is a key determinant of contraceptive use which ultimately plays a role in attainment of good health and in conduct of clinical research. People living in fishing communities (FCs) have limited access to health services including FP and are targeted for future clinical research but their knowledge of FP and its correlates are scantily known. We determined correlates of knowledge of FP among people living in FCs of L. victoria in Uganda to inform future FP education programs in FCs.MethodsWe conducted a comparative cross-sectional survey among participants aged 15–49 years from Kigungu and Nsazi. Participants were asked if they were aware of any FP method. All those who responded in the affirmative were further asked to mention what FP methods they had heard of or knew. Those who reported knowledge of at least one FP method were asked a series of questions about FP methods and their side effects. Knowledge was categorized into good or poor knowledge based on their mean total score. Poor knowledge constituted a score below the mean while good knowledge constituted a score of more than or equal to the mean total score. To further explore attitudes and perceptions of FP, ten in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions were conducted.ResultsOf the 1410 screened participants, 94.5% were aware of at least one FP method. Pills and injectable hormonal methods were the most commonly known methods. Slightly over a third (38%) had good knowledge of FP. Correlates of knowledge of FP were; being female (aOR: 1.92 95% CI: 1.39–2.67), residing in Kigungu (aOR: 4.01 95% CI: 2.77–5.81), being married (aOR: 1.59 95% CI: 1.11–2.28) and currently being in a sexual relationship (aOR: 1.75 95% CI: 1.18–2.60). Concerns about safety and effectiveness of some modern FP methods exist. Misconceptions on effects of FP like sterility, cancers and foetal abnormalities were common.ConclusionFP awareness among people living in FCs of L. Victoria in Uganda is high. However, good knowledge about specific methods tends to be low. Correlates of knowledge of FP include gender, residence, marital status and sexual engagement.

Perception of family planning and reasons for low acceptance of NSV among married males of urban slums of Lucknow city - A community based study.

Background and Aims:Population explosion has been India's major problem since independence. It is a major obstacle to the overall progress of the nation. Adoption of family planning methods is one of the best solutions to tackle this problem. The roots of the factors influencing family planning issues are entrenched in the socio-cultural milieu of Indian society. Uttar Pradesh is the most populated state of the country having population of 199.581 million and TFR of 3.3 (AHS 2012-2013) with high fertile trajectory. Among the family planning methods currently, male sterilization accounts for only 0.3% of all sterilizations in Uttar Pradesh (AHS 2012-2013). A strategy to promote men's involvement in effective birth control is needed to reduce the population growth. The aim of this study is: i) To access the perception of married males towards family planning. ii) To access knowledge about NSV iii) enumerate the causes for low acceptance of NSV.Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out. Multi-stage random sampling technique was used. In the first stage, two urban slums from each Nagar-Nigam zone was selected randomly. In the second stage, from each selected slum, a sample of 24 eligible households was selected at random to achieve the desired sample size.Results:Female sterilization technique was considered as the most effective family planning method by the male respondents. Socio-cultural barriers were the most important reason for the low acceptance of NSV. Educational status was found to be the most important predictor for these socio-cultural barriers.Conclusion:Measures should be taken to remove misconceptions, to increase uptake of NSV.

Socio-demografska analiza stavova porodilja o planiranju porodice i mjerama populacione politike u Republici Srpskoj

The study focuses on the socio-demographic analysis of postpartum women's perception of family planning and population policy measures in the Republic of Srpska. The demographic method, the structured analysis and the statistical processing of data obtained from a questionnaire conducted with a representative sample of surveys were performed for the purpose of the research. The main hypothesis is grounded on current tendencies of insufficient number of births, negative birth rates, population aging and the widespread single life in the Republic of Srpska. In this regard, it is essential to reflect on the fertile potential of postpartum women, their model of reproductive behavior and attitude towards family planning and current population policy measures. The analysis of postpartum women's perception confirmed the hypothesis that there was a necessity for additional verification of prenatal population policy measures in the Republic of Srpska as most surveys expressed desire to have more children. The obtained results may be considered valid for adopting policies and recommendations with an aim to conduct prenatal measures within the population policy in the Republic of Srpska.

Health care providers’ perceptions of family planning and contraception education for adolescents in Kampala, Uganda – A qualitative study

ObjectivesUnsafe abortions are a reproductive health problem in low-income countries, but can be prevented by decreasing unintended pregnancies. The objective was to describe health care providers’ (HCPs) perceptions of family planning and contraception education for adolescents in Kampala, Uganda. Study designA qualitative study with a semi-structured interview guide was used for individual face-to-face interviews. Eight participants from two different Non-governmental organisations were interviewed. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data. ResultsData analysis resulted in three main categories of HCP perceptions: counseling, education and availability; peer-educators and community leaders; and stigma, inequality and myths. The providers emphasized the importance to discuss and eradicate the myths and misconceptions among adolescents regarding family planning methods by giving information, preferably at early ages. Peer-educators and community leaders were the most successful methods for accessing and involving the community. Approaches mentioned for reaching out to adolescents included involving parents, using social media, and offering education in schools. Furthermore, the providers highlighted to involve the males in family planning. ConclusionsHealth care providers emphasized the importance to discuss and eradicate the myths and misconceptions among adolescents regarding different family planning methods by education in school and information in sexual and reproductive health.

Change and Continuity in Kassena Men's Perceptions of Family Planning in Northern Ghana

Studies suggest that men's perceptions of family planning in sub-Saharan Africa would be improved if they were included more extensively in family planning programs. However, few studies capture how men's views change over time and what processes are responsible for these shifts. Examining the processes that underpin men's shifting family formation strategies is essential in order to understand the impact of family planning programs. This research, framed by a political economy of fertility approach that draws on life history data, highlights intergenerational change and continuity in men's perceptions of family planning in Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region of Ghana, where a family planning program involving men was implemented in the 1990s. Eight months of ethnographic fieldwork was conducted in rural village and clinic settings in 2013 and 2014. We find that men's sense of responsibility for the cost of schooling, against a changing economic backdrop, as well as shifts toward “companionate marriage” are among the most salient factors contributing to their growing approval of family planning. This study highlights the importance of paying attention to changes in the larger socioeconomic context that encourage men's acceptance of family planning. We argue that programs incorporating men should move beyond health education to consider broader social and economic drivers of attitudinal change.

Contraceptives Can Unite Us.

Dyer et al.'s (2016) analysis offers key insights into religious conservatives' perceptions of family planning. It also provides the basis for a messaging platform which could help grow support for sexual and reproductive health programming in a highly politicized environment. However, Dyer et al. have put forth a potentially harmful premise in their exclusive focus on "healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies" (HTSP), while ignoring the benefits of making "contraceptives" central to messaging efforts to increase the support of religious conservatives. Not only does the term "contraceptives" elicit the most positive results among those tested, it appeals to reproductive health advocates by avoiding the pitfalls of a singular focus on HTSP, including ignoring the sexual and reproductive needs and rights of those who are unmarried, adolescents and youth, survivors of gender-based violence - and those who simply wish to limit births entirely.

‘Women now wear trousers’: men's perceptions of family planning in the context of changing gender relations in western Kenya

Gender inequity has been closely linked with unmet need for family planning among women in sub-Saharan Africa but the factors related to male family planning disapproval are not well-understood. This qualitative study explored men's perspectives of gender roles and cultural norms as they pertain to family planning. Twelve small group meetings were held with 106 married men in Nyanza Province, Kenya. Shifting gender relations made the definitions of manhood more tenuous than ever. Men's previous identities as sole breadwinners, which gave them significant control over decision-making, were being undermined by women's increasing labour force participation. While many men viewed family planning positively, fears that family planning would lead to more female sexual agency and promiscuity or that male roles would be further jeopardised were widespread and were major deterrents to male family planning approval. By addressing such fears, gender-sensitive programmes could help more men to accept family planning. Increased family planning education for men is needed to dispel misconceptions regarding family planning side-effects. Focusing on the advantages of family planning, namely financial benefits and reduced conflict among couples, could resonate with men. Community leaders, outreach workers and healthcare providers could help shift men's approval of joint decision-making around family size to other reproductive domains, such as family planning use.

Assessment of the role of males in family planning practices in rural area of Wardha District

Introduction : Family planning is associated with numerous misconceptions - one of them is its strong association in the minds of people with sterilization. One of the most serious problem in developing countries still have to solve is their rapid and uncontrolled increase in population. Objectives: To study the extent of awareness of various family planning methods and to assess the practice of contraceptive usage among the males Observations and Results: 73% respondents were aware that family planning should be done after 2 child, 79.4% respondent shown positive response between consecutive children, family planning was important . 73.7% respondent heard about contraception. 80.3% respondent used contraceptives and 75.7% respondent were currently used contraceptives Conclusion: Male perception of family planning is an important factor when trying to influence the usage pattern of reversible methods in family planning.

가나 볼타지역 가임여성의 가족계획 실천에 영향을 미치는 요인

Background: Family planning is widely practiced today to resolve the over-growing population and overcome obstacles that thwart socio-economic growth. While Ghana was the first country in Africa to implement family planning program, its birthrate is still twice as much as world average due to weak infrastructure and strategic plans to enforce the policy. Thus, there is a need to objectively verify the factors that affect family planning of fertile women of Ghana.Methods: Total of 630 self-administered questionnaires were distributed from April 8 to 17 of 2013 to collect data. Six-hundred eigh -teen questionnaires were analyzed, excluding the 12 incomplete questionnaires. Collected data were analyzed using PASW SPSS ver. 18, and logistic regression analysis was performed to verify the factors that affect practice of family planning.Results: Satisfaction with health and medical facilities, experience with family planning education and awareness of birth control methods significantly affected practice of family planning. Based on analysis using odds ratio, enforcement rate of family planning increased by 4.574 times when the subjects were satisfied with health and medical facilities, by 3.920 times when received family planning education, and by 3.284 times when they were aware of birth control methods.Conclusion: By adopting family planning education program, government should be able to change fertile women’s perception of family planning. A strategic plan is necessary in order to increase access to medical facilities, improve service satisfaction, and induce women to enforce family planning voluntarily.Keywords: Family planning services; Satisfaction with health and medical facilities; Experience with family planning education; Awareness of birth control method

The Potential for Social Marketing a Knowledge-Based Family Planning Method

Social marketing is a proven private sector strategy to provide health-related products, including contraceptives. Pharmacies offer affordable, convenient, and rapid delivery of over-the-counter contraceptives directly to the consumer, providing wider availability and accessibility to family planning (FP) in sub-Saharan Africa. Pilot projects tested the feasibility of including CycleBeads®, the visual tool that supports the use of the Standard Days Method®, into Population Services International (PSI) social marketing programs. The purpose of this article is to review evidence to provide guidance for social marketing CycleBeads in pharmacies in sub-Saharan Africa. Literature on contraceptive provision through pharmacies in comparison to clinics was summarized from developing and developed country contexts, highlighting salient and relevant lessons for the African context in regard to pharmacists’ knowledge and perceptions of FP, clients’ perceptions of pharmacists’ FP knowledge and FP service delivery in pharmacies, and the impact of pharmacy access on contraceptive use. Descriptive data from PSI social marketing initiatives in several African countries, and commercial marketing information were reviewed. Evidence from CycleBeads sales suggests that there is demand for the product and it is affordable in comparison to oral contraceptives. In addition, there were high levels of correct use by women who purchased CycleBeads in pharmacies, suggesting that CycleBeads are an appropriate product for social marketing. Until awareness of and demand for the method increases, social marketing of CycleBeads requires continued subsidy to maintain viability. Training to update pharmacists’ knowledge and increase capacity to provide basic information, positioning of the method, and low profit margins for pharmacies present challenges.

Family planning among people living with HIV in post-conflict Northern Uganda: A mixed methods study

BackgroundNorthern Uganda experienced severe civil conflict for over 20 years and is also a region of high HIV prevalence. This study examined knowledge of, access to, and factors associated with use of family planning services among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in this region.MethodsBetween February and May 2009, a total of 476 HIV clinic attendees from three health facilities in Gulu, Northern Uganda, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with another 26 participants. Factors associated with use of family planning methods were examined using logistic regression methods, while qualitative data was analyzed within a social-ecological framework using thematic analysis.ResultsThere was a high level of knowledge about family planning methods among the PLHIV surveyed (96%). However, there were a significantly higher proportion of males (52%) than females (25%) who reported using contraception. Factors significantly associated with the use of contraception were having ever gone to school [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33-14.07; p = .015], discussion of family planning with a health worker (AOR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.01-4.27; p = .046), or with one's spouse (AOR = 5.13, 95% CI: 2.35-11.16; p = .000), not attending the Catholic-run clinic (AOR = 3.67, 95% CI: 1.79-7.54; p = .000), and spouses' non-desire for children (AOR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.10-4.36; p = .025). Qualitative data revealed six major factors influencing contraception use among PLHIV in Gulu including personal and structural barriers to contraceptive use, perceptions of family planning, decision making, covert use of family planning methods and targeting of women for family planning services.ConclusionsMultilevel, context-specific health interventions including an integration of family planning services into HIV clinics could help overcome some of the individual and structural barriers to accessing family planning services among PLHIV in Gulu. The integration also has the potential to reduce HIV incidence in this post-conflict region.