Extending Contraceptive Use

Although fertility control may occur without an organized family planning program, as it has in the West, programs reduce fertility among the poor and disadvantaged. A family planning program may emphasize the health of mother and child or directly reducing fertility, but the goal is to supply safe and effective methods of birth control. An efficient program optimizes the mix of fertility control methods for a given objective. Ideally, the mix will be dynamic, changing over time. In 1976 a study of 37 developing countries indicated that only 4 were offering all 5 principal methods. Recommendations for modifying family planning programs so they are most efficient are to use existing technology and methods; providing variety of methods and delivery systems; emphasizing couple continuation rather than method continuation. Contraceptive prevalence could be expanded to 40% or more of eligible couples if existing methods were made available through a variety of delivery systems. As more countries have moved to abolish prescriptions for oral contraceptives community-based distribution has become more effective and useful. A vigorous commercial distribution system could add 9 or 10 points to prevalence rates. A country with a high proportion of deliveries in government health facilities could surpass the 3% prevalence rate shown for the IUD in the health system, espccially if a postpartum IUD program were implemented

Birth control · Birth rate · Developing country · Disadvantaged · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental health · Family planning · Fertility · Population · Program evaluation · Research methodology · Statistics · Total fertility rate · Global Maternal and Child Health · Healthcare Policy and Management · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Mathematics · Medicine