Unmet Need For Family Planning Research Articles

Training in the symptothermal method to ameliorate unmet need for family planning: knowledge, attitudes and satisfaction.

Addressing the unmet need for family planning to prevent unintended pregnancies is a high priority for women's health, and training as an element of the symptothermal method (STM) is deemed to be an effective strategy. This study assessed training on knowledge, attitudes and satisfaction with STM to ameliorate the unmet need for family planning. The study adopted a pre-post study design. A total of 136 women participated in this study. Knowledge and attitudes were assessed pre- and post-training as well as the level of satisfaction, using cycle charts and questionnaires. The χ2 test (p<0.05) was used to analyse data on sociodemographics, attitudinal characteristics and satisfaction. Paired samples t-test (p<0.05) was used to establish the mean difference of the two groups (knowledge and attitudes pre- and post-training). The paired samples t-test established that women have significant (t=-058.716, p=0.001) knowledge post-training (1.0000±0.00000) compared with pre-training (0.0682±0.01587) on STM. There was no significant (t=-1.419, p=0.158) difference in attitudes towards STM pre- and post-training. There was a significant level of satisfaction (p=0.001). Our interventional study has enabled women to acquire robust knowledge, positive attitudes and satisfaction with the utilization of STM. This has ameliorated unmet need for family planning among participants.

Intervention model in reducing the unmet need for contraception: a systematic literature review on technology-based, community, and health worker interventions

The unmet need for contraception is a serious public health problem, and efforts to reduce the unmet need for family planning are a challenge due to the many and complex factors that contribute to the unmet needs. The aim of this study was to systematically review scientific evidence on intervention models that effectively reduce the unmet need for contraception. This study used a systematic review to identify relevant scientific articles. The article search was based on the PICO approach and used a database from https://www.scopus.com/, https://www.sciencedirect.com/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/, https://www.mdpi.com/, https://www.jstor.org/, https://www.nature.com/, https://link.springer.com/. The reviewed material was full-text articles and open-access articles published from 2013 to 2023. Data extraction included author, country, type of intervention, research design, sample, and main research findings. Twelve studies were included in our qualitative synthesis. Technology-based interventions, such as mobile phone instant messaging apps, were implemented in countries like Tajikistan, Bolivia, and Mozambique. Community-based interventions included the Community Family Health=Family Wealth program in Uganda, the Tékponon Jikuagou (TJ) program in Benin, and the Married Adolescent Girls Club (MAG club) and Participatory Women's Group Intervention in Bangladesh. Health worker-led interventions involved community health volunteers in Nepal, postpartum contraceptive counseling, contraceptive counseling for all ages, structured counseling for childbearing couples in Indonesia, and the "Consult and Choose" client-centered family service in Jordan. The findings underscore that varying intervention models can significantly enhance contraceptive use, tailored to specific cultural and regional contexts. These interventions, therefore, hold substantial implications for public health practices aiming to address and reduce the global unmet need for contraception. This systematic review provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of diverse interventions and suggests avenues for public health strategies to expand contraceptive access and use globally.

Inequalities in the demand and unmet need for contraception among women in four regions of Ethiopia.

Unmet need for family planning is a major cause of unwanted pregnancies, which may contribute to the death of mothers and children. The aim of this study is to examine inequalities in the demand and unmet need for contraception among women in four regions (i.e., Afar, Benishangul-Gumzu, Gambela and Somali regions) of Ethiopia. The study utilized data from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (EDHS), collected from 3,343 women of reproductive age 15-49 years situated in these study regions. Multilevel binary and multivariable logistic regression analysis, concentration index, and multivariate decomposition analysis were employed. The study revealed that women's employment status, education level, household wealth index, total number of children ever born, and husband's working status had a statistically significant association with the demand for contraception. Furthermore, women's educational level, household size, wealth index and husband's working status had statistically significant association with unmet need for contraception. The results of the concentration index indicated that illiteracy among respondents (56%), being in the richest economic status/ wealth index (41%) and non-working status of respondents (21%) contributed substantially to the inequality in the demand for contraception use. Illiteracy of the husband (197%) and the household size less than or equal to five (184%) contributed positively, but illiteracy of respondent (-249%) and unemployment status of respondents (-119%) contributed negatively to the existing inequality in unmet need for contraception. The findings of this study highlight the presence of unacceptably high inequality in the demand and unmet need for contraception among women in the four study regions. Policymakers should give due attention to reducing existing socio-economic inequality to address the high unmet need for family planning and increase demand for contraception in these regions. The study strongly recommends implementing multidimensional and multisectoral approaches, which will significantly reduce inequalities in the outcome variables.

Prevalence, patterns and determinants of unmet needs of contraception among married women in Imphal East district of Manipur: a cross-sectional study

Background: In many countries, unmet need for family planning among pregnant women is a main reason of closely spaced births, child bearing at a very early age, unsafe abortions or physical abuse, all of which are considered as main co-factors to high maternal and infant mortality. Understanding the unmet need of contraception and contraceptive behaviour among married women will help in enhancing the service provision among them. The study was done with the objective to estimate the prevalence of unmet need of contraception and patterns of contraceptive usage among currently married women and to determine the association between unmet need of contraception and some selected variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire among currently married women. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with the unmet need of contraception. A p value of &lt;0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Results: Out of 300 respondents, more than half (165, 55.0%) had unmet needs of contraception. Age of the participant AOR=1.057 (1.013-1.103), self-employed AOR=0.433 (0.222-0.844), pregnant at present AOR = 7.693 (2.868-20.635), discussing about FP with husband AOR=0.534 (0.305-0.936) and those ever received FP services AOR=2.794 (1.579-4.944) were significantly associated with unmet need of contraception. Conclusions: Five out of ten women were found to have unmet need for contraception. Awareness programs regarding importance of family planning and various family planning services available at health facilities should be conducted from time to time among the public.

A Qualitative Assessment of Healthcare Providers’ Insights towards Utilization of Symptothermal Method to Ameliorate Unmet Need for Family Planning among Women in Kisumu County, Kenya

Purpose: To attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) 3- target 3.7, that highlights the need to improve women’s sexual and reproductive health status through means including family planning, information and education, a safer family planning method that could ameliorate unmet need for family planning, is urgently required. Healthcare providers’ knowledge and perception of natural family planning might influence decision of women interested in Symptothermal method (STM). We investigated healthcare providers’ factors influencing utilization of STM as a strategy to ameliorate unmet need for family planning among women in Kisumu County, Kenya. Methodology: Focus group discussion technique was used involving 14 healthcare providers and 8 STM users purposively selected. Phenomenology approach to enquiry which aims to investigate experiences from the perspective of the participants was adopted. Reflexive Thematic analysis was used. Data were transcribed and the thematic codes categorized were applied to assess all focus group transcripts. Dedoose 9.2.005 software was used for the analysis. Findings: Three themes were identified. Disclosure of untapped demand emerged as a significant insight, with healthcare providers admitting their previous oversight of the role of STM as part of other family planning methods. To ensure the successful integration of STM in healthcare facilities, healthcare providers identified training and community awareness as primary strategies. A major challenge identified was limited dissemination of information to clients, with healthcare providers often prioritizing and promoting contraceptive methods in which they are more confident. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Comprehensive training would play a pivotal role in fostering a thorough understanding of STM among service providers. This understanding would instill confidence in healthcare providers, empowering them to effectively convey information to clients with assurance and clarity.

Prevalence of unmet need for family planning and unintended pregnancies among women of reproductive age living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Prevalence of unmet need for family planning and unintended pregnancies among women of reproductive age living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Modern contraceptive utilization and associated factors among postpartum women in Kena Woreda, Konso Zone, South Ethiopian Regional State, Ethiopia, 2023: mixed type community based cross-sectional study design

BackgroundEven though family planning 2020 has made remarkable progress about solving the issue of unmet need for family planning, 70% of women in a developing countries who do not want to conceive are not using it. There are limited research that provided detail information regarding barriers of modern contraceptive utilization during postpartum period in the study area. In addition, previous study also recommended that to conduct using mixed quantitative and qualitative design for further investigations to answer these “why” questions and narrow these gaps.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess postpartum modern contraceptive utilization and associated factors among postpartum women in Kena woreda, Konso zone, South Ethiopian Regional State, Ethiopia, 2023.MethodsA mixed type community based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 605 women in Kena woreda, from September 1–30/2023 out of 628 sampled mothers. Multistage sampling technique was used to select study participant and data was collected using semi-structured pretested questionnaire and entered in to Epi data version 3.1 and then exported to STATA version 14 for analysis for quantitative. The association between variables was analyzed using bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression and level of significant determined with adjusted odd ratio at 95% CI and P-value less than < 0.05. After translation and transcription, manual thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data.ResultsThe prevalence of modern contraceptive use among women during postpartum period in Kena woreda was found to be 39.01% [95% CI: 35.18–42.96%]. Menses resumed (AOR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.59), linked to the family planning unit during their child`s immunization (AOR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.45, 3.25), family planning counselling during antenatal care visit (AOR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.10, 2.42) and good knowledge towards modern contraceptive (AOR = 1.53; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.26) were factors associated with postpartum contraceptive utilization. Partner oppose, myths and misconception, need for excess family size, religious prohibition, fear of side effect,menses not resumed, lack of counselling and privacy room, and lack of transportation to health facility were barriers to modern postpartum contraceptive utilization. Conclusions and recommendationsThe utilization of postpartum contraceptives was found to be lower than the target set by the 2020/21 national reproductive health strategy plan, which aimed to increase contraceptive method usage to 50%. Menses resumed, family planning counselling during antenatal care visit, linked to the family planning unit during child immunization and good knowledge were factors associated to modern postpartum contraceptive utilization. Strengthening service integration and family planning counseling during antenatal care visits and encourage mothers to start using modern family planning methods before menses resume are important. Overcoming barriers including partner opposition, myths, religious beliefs, fear of side effects, lack of counseling at health facilities, and transportation challenges is essential.

Unmet need for family planning among Syrian migrant women living in Turkey and its determinants

IntroductionMigrant women might be cannot benefit from health services sufficiently. The unmet need for family planning is among the pivotal indicators for measuring progress toward improving maternal and child health. The aim of this study was to identify the unmet need for family planning (UMNFP) among Syrian migrant women living in Mardin and its determinants.Material and methodsThe study was conducted in Mardin. Data were gathered during home visits Data collection tools were socio-demographic and reproductive health questionnaires. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Qualitative variables were presented by number and percentage. Quantitative variables were presented by means (standard deviation). To determine, the determinants of UMNFP binary logistic regression was used.ResultsThe result of this study showed that prevalence of UMNFP was 35%. Woman’s low educational level (OR:5.42, CI95%:2.43–8.94), history of un intended pregnancy(OR:1.43, CI95%:1.1–1.94) and induced abortion (OR:1.76, CI95%: 1.41–2.21), not having husband’s regular job(OR: 2.24, CI95%:1.92–3.78) and lack of woman`s autonomy in decision related to use of contraception methods(OR:3.21, CI95%: 1.78–6.12) were determinants of UMNFP.ConclusionThe prevalence of UMNFP among Syrian immigrants living in Mardin was considerable. Understanding the challenges and the barriers impacting use of contraception including cultural norms as well, as social and language obstacles are essential to decrease UMNFP.

Unmet Need for Family Planning Among Women Attending Primary Healthcare in Alahsa, Saudi Arabia.

Enhancing maternal health quality is a concern among researchers globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one factor in women's health and empowerment is the rate of use of various contraceptive techniques. The WHO defines unmet contraceptive need as the discrepancy between a woman's desire to delay or cease childbearing and lack of contraception use to achieve this goal. Our study was designed to measure the unmet need for family planning and contraceptive use among married Saudi women attending primary healthcare centers in Alahsa, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was carried out using multistage cluster stratified sampling. The study included all married Saudi women aged 18-49 attending primary health centers. A structured questionnaire from the United States Agency for International Development Demographic and Health Surveys Methodology was used. Data analysis was performed using the statistical software IBM SPSS version 29(IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). In all, 430 individuals were included.The participants' ages ranged from 19 to 49 years (33.4 ± 7 years). Among them, 50 (11.6%) were pregnant. Among those who were not pregnant, 268 (62.3%) were using a method of contraception. Based on the definitions adopted in this study, 90 (20.9%) had unmet needs for family planning, and 340 (79.1%) had their needs met. The total demand for family planning was estimated to be 83.2%. The percentage of demand for family planning satisfied by a modern contraceptive method was 46.9%. Although Alahsa has a lower unmet need rate (20%) than other cities in Saudi Arabia, it remains notably higher than the average rate in Northern African and Western Asian countries, which is 10.9%. A number of factors, including nulliparity and having more than two children, were associated with unmet contraceptive needs. The majority of women who did not use contraceptives had concerns about the side effects and inconvenience of use.

Trend and Factors Associated With Unintended Pregnancy Among Currently Married Women in Nepal

Unintended pregnancy, a critical concern in both human rights and public health, emphasizes women’s fundamental right to make decisions about their fertility, which is vital for their reproductive choices. The study aimed at examining the trends and factors related to unintended pregnancy, an area that has received less focus in previous research. This study analyzed 15 years of data (2001–2016) from four national surveys in Nepal, focusing on currently married women aged 15–49 who were currently pregnant or had the last birth experienced within five years before the survey. The sample included 4,694, 4,006, 4,104, and 3,966 females from the 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016 surveys respectively. This study used bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis to examine unintended pregnancy. In 2001, 39.4% of women experienced an unintended pregnancy, but over 15 years, this rate decreased by almost half, reaching 19.9% in 2016. Age, number of household members, wealth index, age at first birth, children ever born, fertility preference, unmet need for family planning, and husband’s desire for children were significantly associated with unintended pregnancy in all the survey years. The results suggest a need for policies that ensure all pregnancies are intended, promoting reproductive rights and justice for women.

Contraceptive use, unmet need and its determinants among tribal married reproductive women: A community based observational study in a district of West Bengal

ABSTRACT Context: Reported literatures revealed the problems of access and misconceptions, low contraceptive usage and high unmet need for family planning among the tribes. Aims: Our aim was to find out the prevalence of contraceptive usage, unmet need and their determinants among tribal married reproductive women. Settings and Design: A community-based, observational, analytical research using cross-sectional design was conducted among 290 tribal women of the Nadia district of West Bengal. Subjects and Methods: After obtaining ethical clearance, an interviewer-administered pre-designed, structured proforma was used to collect information on socio-demographic attributes, marital history, contraceptives and fertility status, unmet needs and the reasons for not using contraceptives. Statistical Analysis Used: Bi-variate analysis was used to know the differences and a two-tailed significance test with a P value of 0.05 or less was considered statistically significant. Results: The present study revealed a high prevalence of teenage marriage (60.7%) and pregnancy (27.6%). Every one in six tribal women was illiterate. The contraceptive prevalence rate was 43.8%. Tubectomy (38.6%) was the most common method (38.6%) and unfelt need (19.6%) was the most common reason for non-use. Age, occupation of women, social class, living status, marital duration, number of living children and desire to have a future child were found to be associated with the current contraceptive use. Social class, number of living children, contraceptive awareness, source and place of availability, abortion history, opposition from family and husband, and husband participation all were significantly associated with the unmet need for family planning. Conclusion: In-depth counselling focusing on achieving a satisfactory level of awareness and acceptance of family planning methods may help to achieve reproductive health by reducing unmet needs.

A random effect model for the determinants of modern family planning use among women of reproductive age in Uganda

Despite the fact that most people are aware of contemporary contraceptives, there is still a significant unmet need for family planning. Therefore, this study evaluated the variables linked to Ugandan women of reproductive age using contemporary contraceptives. Data from a cross-sectional 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey was used in this study. The study employed quantitative approach where descriptive statistics were used to summarize the characteristics of the respondents and a random intercept model was run. This study found that women of reproductive age used contemporary contraceptives on average at a rate of 27.3% (95% CI: 26.3, 28.3), women aged 25 to 29 made up the largest percentage of users (AOR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.73), while those aged 15 to 19 made up the smallest percentage of users yet it is the most sexually active age bracket. Very few Ugandan women of reproductive age used contemporary contraceptives on a regular basis. This low rate was attributed to a variety of woman, household, and community factors, including age of the mother, education level (mother and husband), employment status of the mother, ever had a pregnancy terminated, access to television, frequency of internet use, possession of a personal phone, last birth being caesarean, wealth quintile, sex of household head, religion, and region, all of which were significantly associated with the use of modern family planning. Therefore, while pushing the shift to the use of contemporary contraceptives, all these issues must be taken into account.

Analysis of factors related to unmet need for family planning in Bantul, D.I. Yogyakarta

Background: Unmet need for family planning refers to women who wish to delay or limit births but didn’t use contraceptive methods to achieve them. Factors related were marital status, place of residence, and access to health services. Occupational factors, sources of information, husband’s support for family planning, and discussions about family planning with husbands were also related to unmet need. Objective: To identify that most influence unmet need for family planning in Bantul District, D.I. Yogyakarta.Methods: Research design using a cross-sectional approach with a cluster random sampling technique, namely 331 couples of reproductive age in Wonokromo I and Wonokromo II villages. The research instrument was a questionnaire. The results were analyzed using Chi-square test and multivariate with logistic regression.Results: Chi-square test on variables of knowledge about family planning p=0.406, access to family planning services with p-value=0.005, sources of information p=0.001, discussion of family planning with husbands p=0.001, and husband’s support in family planning with p=0.001. The OR value of discussing contraception with the husband were 6.3.Conclusion: The most dominant factor related to unmet need for family planning in Bantul district, D.I. Yogyakarta were a discussion of family planning with husbands

Boosting Contraceptive Uptake in Urban Uganda: Older Women Benefit When Layering Adolescent and Youth Interventions Onto Existing Family Planning Programming.

Uganda has a large young population with a high unmet need for family planning (FP). Although there have been many efforts to improve access to and uptake of contraception, improvements have been slow. The Ministry of Health Uganda partnered with The Challenge Initiative (TCI) to implement a novel multipronged approach layering adolescent and youth sexual reproductive health (AYSRH) onto a functioning general FP program for women of reproductive age in 3 local governments of Buikwe, Mukono, and Iganga. We describe the approach and aim to determine whether layering AYSRH interventions onto an existing program resulted in increased contraceptive uptake among adolescents and youth aged 10-24 years and among women aged 25-49 years. We analyzed service statistics from the Uganda Health Management Information System to assess contraceptive uptake for adolescents and youth (aged 10-24 years) and older women (aged 25-49 years) before and after the implementation of the AYSRH approach in 3 areas (Buikwe, Iganga, and Mukono) compared to 11 areas where only the general FP program was implemented and the Uganda country total. This analysis showed that before the start of TCI's support, levels of contraceptive uptake were similar in all local governments. However, after implementation, there was an increase in uptake for general FP program only areas (1.7-point advantage over country total) and an even greater increase in general FP+AYSRH areas (2.4-point advantage over FP only programming). This was observed in both adolescents and youth aged 10-24 years and among women aged 25-49 years. The layering of TCI's AYSRH interventions onto a well-functioning FP platform not only increased contraceptive uptake among adolescents and youth aged 10-24 years but also boosted uptake among women older than age 25 years.

Trends and predictors of unmet need for family planning among women living with HIV in Zambia: implications for elimination of vertical transmission of HIV

BackgroundPrevention of vertical (mother to child) transmission of HIV is one of the key strategies towards HIV epidemic control. Despite considerable progress over the past decade in Zambia, the country is yet to reach global and national target for elimination of vertical transmission of HIV. Avoidance of unintended pregnancy among women living with HIV is one of the cost-effective interventions in a comprehensive approach to prevent vertical transmission of HIV. Therefore, this study aimed at ascertaining trends in and predictors of unmet need for family planning among women living with HIV in Zambia.MethodsThe study employed a repeated cross sectional (RCS) study design, using data from the three (3) most recent consecutive rounds of the Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) conducted in 2007, 2013/2014 and 2018. The study used data from a total of 27,153 women aged 15–49 years over the three survey periods among whom 4,113 had an HIV positive result following a rigorous HIV testing algorithm of the demographic and health surveys, and these constituted our sample size of women living with HIV. We used descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses to respectively ascertain trends in and predictors of unmet need for family planning among women living with HIV.ResultsOver the three survey points, unmet need for family planning among women living with HIV has largely remained unchanged from 20.8% in 2007 to 20.5% in 2013/14 and 21.1% in 2018 DHS. Residence, age of women, household wealth, woman’s parity, employment, and age of spouse emerged as significant predictors of unmet need for family planning among women living with HIV in Zambia.ConclusionPreventing HIV infection in a child preserves life, contributes to improving quality of life from its early stages and averts lifetime costs of HIV treatment and associated healthcare costs. There is need to consider optimization of interventions to prevent vertical transmission of HIV including shaping programming regarding preventing unintended pregnancies among women living with HIV. Among other aspects, policy and practice need to strengthen SRH/HIV integration and better target rural residents, younger women, those with high parity and consider positive male engagement to reduce unmet need for family planning among women living with HIV.

Trends in prevalence of unmet need for family planning in India: patterns of change across 36 States and Union Territories, 1993–2021

BackgroundEliminating unmet need for family planning by 2030 is a global priority for ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages. We estimate the sub-national trends in prevalence of unmet need for family planning over 30 years in India and study differences based on socio-economic and demographic factors.MethodsWe used data from five National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) conducted between 1993 to 2021 for the 36 states/Union Territories (UTs) of India. The study population included women of ages 15–49 years who were married or in a union at the time of the survey. The outcome was unmet need for family planning which captures the prevalence of fecund and sexually active women not using contraception, who want to delay or limit childbearing. We calculated the standardized absolute change to estimate the change in prevalence on an annual basis across all states/UTs. We examined the patterning of prevalence of across demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and estimated the headcount of women with unmet need in 2021.ResultsThe prevalence of unmet need in India decreased from 20·6% (95% CI: 20·1– 21·2%) in 1993, to 9·4% (95% CI: 9·3–9·6%) in 2021. Median unmet need prevalence across states/UTs decreased from 17·80% in 1993 to 8·95% in 2021. The north-eastern states of Meghalaya (26·9%, 95% CI: 25·3–28·6%) and Mizoram (18·9%, 95% CI: 17·2–20·6%), followed by the northern states of Bihar (13·6%, 95% CI: 13·1–14·1%) and Uttar Pradesh (12·9%, 95% CI: 12·5–13·2%), had the highest unmet need prevalence in 2021. As of 2021, the estimated number of women with an unmet need for family planning was 24,194,428. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and West Bengal accounted for half of this headcount. Women of ages 15–19 and those belonging the poorest wealth quintile had a relatively high prevalence of unmet need in 2021.ConclusionsThe existing initiatives under the National Family Planning Programme should be strengthened, and new policies should be developed with a focus on states/UTs with high prevalence, to ensure unmet need for family planning is eliminated by 2030.

IJCM_67A: Unmet need for family planning and the factors affecting it in rural area of Udupi district, Karnataka

Background: The world population is expected to increase from 8 billion currently to 9.7 billion in 2050. China (1.4 billion) and India (1.4 billion) remain the two most populous countries of the world representing 18 percent of the world’s population respectively. Unmet need for contraception and unintended pregnancy are important public health concerns for India in this context. Objectives: 1. To estimate the prevalence of unmet need for family planning among eligible couples. 2. To assess the knowledge and attitude towards contraceptive usage among the eligible couples Methodology: After obtaining the approval of institutional ethics committee, a cross sectional study was conducted in Shirva, a rural area of Udupi district, Karnataka. List of eligible couples residing in areas coming under the sub centres of CHC Shirva which is a field practice area of the Department of Community Medicine, KMC, Manipal was obtained. Married women of the age group 18-49 years who are were included in the study. Data was collected by personal interviews using a semi structured, pre -designed, pre-tested questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 26. Regression analyses was performed to find out the independent effect of various factors. Results: From the preliminary analysis of 539 participants, the unmet need for family planning was found to be 43.4%. The mean age was found to be 33.68 with a standard deviation of 6.27. The mean age at marriage and the mean age at birth of first child were found to be 22.40 and 22.97 respectively. Most of participants belonged to Hindu religion (57%), followed by Muslims (38.2%) and Christians (4.6%). 36.7% were educated up to secondary school and 21.3% up to graduation and above. Conclusion: From this study, the unmet need for family planning was found to be high.

Life skills and reproductive health empowerment intervention for newly married women and their families to reduce unintended pregnancy in India: protocol for the TARANG cluster randomised controlled trial

IntroductionIn South Asia, younger women have high rates of unmet need for family planning and low empowerment. Life skills interventions can equip young women with agency, but the effectiveness of...

Knowledge Attitude and Barriers to the Use of Family Planning Among Married Men and Women at Fort Portal Hospital-Kabarole-Uganda.

According to the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, most women and men knew some family planning methods but only about 29%of married women were using contraceptives. 20% of women had an unmet need for family planning. We examined knowledge, attitudes and contraceptive practice as well as factors related to contraceptive use in Fort Portal region Uganda. Methods: Data were collected between Sept-Nov 2023 among 160 married couples using a multi-stage sampling design. Quantitative data was based on semi-structured questionnaires and was triangulated with qualitative data collected during focus group discussions. We compared proportions and performed logistic regression analysis. The concept of family planning was well-known in the studied population. Sex-stratified analysis showed pills and injectables were commonly known by both sexes, while long-term contraceptive methods were better known by women, and traditional methods as well as emergency contraception by men. Formal education was the most important factor associated with better knowledge about contraceptive methods (aOR = 2.07, p,0.001), in particular among women (aOR women = 2.77 vs. aOR men = 1.49; p,0.001). In general, only 1 out of 160 men ever used contraception, while 65% and 44% of females ever used and were currently using contraception respectively. The high knowledge of contraceptives did not match with the high contraceptive practice in the study area. The study demonstrated that mere physical access (proximity to clinics for family planning) and awareness of contraceptives are not sufficient to ensure that contraceptive needs are met. Thus, projects aiming at increasing contraceptive use should contemplate and establish better counselling about contraceptive side effects and method switches. Furthermore, in all family planning activities, both wives’ and husbands’ participation should be considered. Keywords: Family planning, Contraceptive use, Women, Men, Married couples.

Characterizing Family Planning Utilization in Adult Women and Adolescents in Pohnpei, Federerated States of Micronesia

IntroductionIncreasing family planning xutilization in low-income countries to improve health outcomes of women and children is a global priority. The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has poor maternal child health outcomes; therefore, this study aimed to examine family planning utilization in Pohnpei State, FSM.MethodsThis cross-sectional study sought to characterize family planning utilization in adult women of reproductive age and high school age adolescents in Pohnpei using representative survey data collected in 2019 (N = 570 and N = 1726, respectively). Chi-square tests were used to determine significant factors associated with family planning utilization.ResultsAmong adult women of reproductive age (18–49 years old) not trying to get pregnant, 31.6% reported using contraception during last intercourse. Contraceptive use was significantly lower among younger women (18–24 years old) (21.7%, p = 0.021), unmarried women (18.6%, p < 0.001), those without health insurance (28.7%, p = 0.030), those who have never had a pap smear (20.5%, p < 0.001), and those who have never been pregnant (14.5%, p < 0.002). Among adolescents who reported being sexually active, 28.5% reported using any contraception at last intercourse and 22.6% reported using a condom at last intercourse. Condom use among sexually active adolescents was lowest among 12th graders (13.5%, p < 0.001) and girls (16.8%, p = 0.004).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that young, unmarried, never pregnant women face an unmet need for family planning. Additionally, women with lower access to and use of healthcare services have lower use of family planning.