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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Thomas J. Goliber, PhD and Rachel Sanders, MPP. Futures Group, 1 Thomas Circle Suite 200, Washington, DC 20005, 202-775-9680, tgoliber@futuresgroup.com

“Repositioning family planning” is a policy approach utilized to improve services and remove obstacles to family planning use. This analysis focuses on the rationale for repositioning family planning in sub-Saharan Africa, based on the contribution that expanding access to family planning can make to the reduction of unmet need and poverty. Secondary analysis was performed on Demographic and Health Surveys from Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia in order to understand more about the relationship between contraceptive use, unmet need, and socioeconomic status. We found that: 1) Fertility and contraceptive use are low while unmet need for family planning is high. This gap is the foundation of the repositioning family planning initiative. 2) Family planning could be a potent poverty reduction strategy for many households. Poor households have the highest rates of fertility and early childbearing and the lowest contraceptive prevalence. Unmet need for family planning is high among women in the poorest households and the intention to use family planning in the future is high among poor women with an unmet need. 3) Program planners and implementers can learn about the traits and attitudes of women with unmet need that can assist in program and advocacy design. For example, widespread concern about the effects of hormonal contraceptive use on future fertility reflects a need for more information on the risks and benefits of hormonal contraceptive use. This paper consists of country-specific discussions of the outcomes of the secondary analysis and how these might improve the repositioning effort in the focus countries.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Describe the major themes of the repositioning family planning initiative
• Articulate how these themes apply to specific country contexts
• Identify indicators relevent to repositioning, including rates of modern contraceptive method use, unmet need, and fertility.

Keywords: Family Planning, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.pdf format, 1369.6 kb)