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URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3SheuDNEK5/?igsh=MW0yY244eDBzOXM3bg%3D%3D&fbclid=IwAR0RTkpSpGf9ujhKaVMpMQrpY5uCan_sDEyq0UNpeWGzY8x7EquSPfz3Bus

AUTHOR: KhairKhwah

DATE PUBLISHED: February 13, 2024

KEY CONTENT: The Instagram post highlights how crucial family planning is in building a healthy environment in a household. A household where your children can thrive and no longer have to worry about their needs and wants as they grow. Nevertheless, the portrayal of people's emotions in this post captures the challenges faced in Mindanao due to the lack of family planning, implying the line "bigger families, bigger responsibilities," hindering progress in Mindanao.

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 KhairKhwah on Instagram: "Family planning empowers parents to provide the best for their children, ensuring a balanced and nurturing environment. Choose family planning for a better future for your family and #HeadlinesofTomorrow.
 #KhairKhwah #FamilyPlanning"

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8 likes, 0 comments - khairkhwahpk on February 13, 2024: "Family planning empowers parents to provide the best for their children, ensuring a balanced and ..."

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View this post on Instagram

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URL: https://davaotoday.com/headline/popcom-exec-cut-in-doh-budget-could-impact-family-planning-program-in-normin/

TITLE: Popcom exec: Cut in DOH budget could impact family planning program in Normin | Davao Today

AUTHOR: Jigger J. Jerusalem

DATE PUBLISHED: March 10, 2020

KEY CONTENT: The Department of Health cut the P200 million budget, significantly reducing access to progestin subdermal implants (PSI) in Northern Mindanao. This impacted over 613,836 women of reproductive age while violating the Magna Carta of Women Act of 2009. This sets a concern in gender equality and reproductive rights throughout Mindanao, potentially blocking women's empowerment and sustainable development across Mindanao.

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Popcom exec: Cut in DOH budget could impact family planning program in Normin | Davao Today

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A cut in the budget of the Department of Health (DOH) intended for the purchase of a new type of contraceptive could mean lesser access for women to reproductive health services in Northern Mindanao, a government official said.

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URL: https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/12/05/2145735/proper-family-planning-address-philippine-poverty

TITLE: Proper family planning to address Philippine poverty

DATE PUBLISHED: December 5, 2021

KEY CONTENT: The Philippine government highlights the importance of family planning in combating poverty in the Philippines, aiming to enhance reproductive health and family planning programs. This also includes helping teenage mothers and improving sex education. This impacts Mindanao through reproductive health education and access services, which can reduce poverty in the region.

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‘Proper family planning to address Philippine poverty’

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The implementation of the country’s reproductive health and family planning programs are crucial in achieving the goal of eradicating extreme poverty moving forward.

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URL: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/opinion/of-demographics-and-global-population-shifts

TITLE: Of demographics and global population shifts

DATE PUBLISHED: March 26, 2023

AUTHOR: Dr. Kristian Alexander

KEY CONTENT: The availability of insufficient reproductive health services and programs for family planning and birth control was very evident in underdeveloped countries. This is very apparent in the less fortunate areas of Davao, wherein there is limited access to information and support from the government for birth control and family planning. The government should invest a sufficient budget to accommodate the needs of the people and ensure that suitable programs for family planning, birth control, and reproductive health services are available and can be accessed as they will benefit the country's economic and social conditions.

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Generally speaking, developed countries tend to have lower fertility rates and ageing populations

In 2050, the world will have just under 10 billion people, up from 7.7 billion in the middle of 2019. The most populous country will be India, with more than 1.6 billion people, closely followed by China with 1.4 billion.

Yet many countries have been plagued by a population decline. The phenomenon of population decline is not similar across all countries, and there are noticeable differences between rich and poor countries. Generally speaking, developed countries tend to have lower fertility rates and ageing populations, which tends to lead to population decline. In contrast, underdeveloped countries tend to have higher fertility rates and younger populations, which tend to lead to population growth. One of the primary reasons for these differences is access to healthcare and education. Developed countries tend to have better healthcare systems and higher levels of education, which can lead to better family planning and lower fertility rates.

There is no universally agreed-upon ideal population size for a country, as it can depend on a range of factors, including the country's available resources, economic development, and environmental sustainability. Some argue that a smaller population is more sustainable, while others argue that a larger population can provide more opportunities for economic growth and innovation.

The fallout from fewer people

Japan has one of the most severe population declines in the world with a current population of about 126 million and a projected decline to around 88 million by 2065. The country's low birth rate and ageing population are major contributors to this decline. Another factor is the changing social attitudes towards marriage and parenthood. Japanese society traditionally placed a high value on marriage and family, but younger generations are increasingly prioritising their careers and personal interests over starting a family. There is also a growing acceptance of alternative lifestyles, such as remaining single or childless, which were previously stigmatised. There is also a lack of support for working parents in Japan. The country has a culture of long working hours, and many workplaces do not offer flexible schedules or parental leave policies. This can make it difficult for parents, especially mothers, to balance work and family responsibilities.

South Korea, too, is experiencing a declining population due to low fertility rates, an ageing population, and emigration. The current population is approximately 51 million, and it is projected to decline to roughly 39 million by 2067. The population decline in South Korea could have a significant impact on its soft power. Soft power refers to a country's ability to attract and persuade others based on its cultural and political values rather than coercion or economic power. South Korea's soft power appeal has been largely driven by its cultural exports, such as K-pop, K-dramas, and Korean cuisine. These exports have gained popularity and helped South Korea to project a positive image and increase its influence around the world. As the country's population shrinks, there will be fewer young people to drive the demand for cultural exports, and the country may lose some of its creative edge and its cultural exports may become less appealing. The declining population might also lead to a shortage of talent and expertise in key industries, which could impact the country's economic competitiveness and ability to innovate.

China is witnessing significant population decline due to a combination of factors such as low fertility rates, ageing populations, and a lack of immigration. In China, the one-child policy that was implemented in the late 1970s and continued until 2015 is a major contributor to the decline. This policy limited families to having only one child, resulting in a decrease in the country's birth rate. The policy was replaced by a two-child policy in 2016, but it has not been able to reverse the declining trend. China's population decline is compounded by a gender imbalance resulting from the one-child policy, which has resulted in a significantly higher number of males than females. China's declining population has important implications for the global economy and geopolitics.

Italy's population has been declining for several years, with a current population of about 60 million and a projected decline to around 53 million by 2050. The country's low fertility rate and ageing population are major contributors to this decline. Italy has not only experienced large-scale immigration but also emigration. What is particularly evident is the outflow of young Italians to Northern Europe and North America. Between 2008 and 2015, more than half a million young Italians emigrated.

Developed vs developing: Africa and India buck the trends in Asia and the West

Population projections for the world as a whole have three major inputs: birth rates, longevity, and migration. According to the 2019 Revisions of World Population Prospects study published by the United Nations, three main trends have been observed.

1. The entire developed world is ageing along with a decline in the population in some countries.

2. The balance of the world's population is shifting within Asia, from China to India.

3. Africa's population is rising. It's hard to overstate the importance of demography not only to Africa's future but also to the future of the rest of the world. It is the youngest and poorest continent, with the fastest-growing population.

It is important for policymakers to consider these demographic trends when planning for the future of their own countries as well as those of their allies and competitors.
Dr Kristian Alexander is a Senior Fellow and the Director of International Security & Terrorism Program at TRENDS Research and Advisory, Abu Dhabi, as well as Head of the Strategic Studies Department. ALSO READ:

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Of demographics and global population shifts

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In 2050, the world will have just under 10 billion people, up from 7.7 billion in the middle of 2019. The most populous country will be India, with more th..

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URL: https://dai.ly/x82kpqk

TITLE: The importance of family planning for Filipinos

AUTHOR: CNN Philippines

DATE PUBLISHED: 2022

KEY CONTENT: The news highlights how the absence of family planning, especially for young mothers and their children, can potentially put their financial, physical, and mental health at risk. Family planning can be a helpful path to having a healthy and active family and ensuring a great future with good opportunities for your children. The lack of family planning in Mindanao can continue the cycle of poverty and limit opportunities for them and their children, indicating the urgency for accessible reproductive services in Mindanao.

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The importance of family planning for Filipinos

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Despite hardships brought about by the pandemic, Filipino families continue to grow in number. How can parent's provide a better life for their children and what is the ideal family size?Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/Follow our social media pages:* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/* Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=yiYAWTTit9w&fbclid=IwAR1YpLDit41-eqX6GMlyDTuzn_2Ch86ACfdam_7NL5q4DCN8iH91v_sNFew

TITLE: The State of Family Planning in the Philippines

DATE PUBLISHED: March 5, 2018

KEY CONTENT: Family planning programs in the Philippines faced obstacles, such as inadequate education, cultural and religious views, and limited access to birth control. This highlights the need for comprehensive sex education and the enhancement of reproductive health services. This can notably impact Mindanao, underscoring the cruciality of accessing the information and services to amend their decision-making in family planning.

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The State of Family Planning in the Philippines

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URL: https://fphandbook.org/factsforfamilyplanning

TITLE: Facts for Family Planning

DATE PUBLISHED: n.d.

AUTHOR: Irina Yacobson, Kaaren

KEY CONTENT: It is primarily designed to offer precise guidance for individuals seeking messages and comprehensive information on family planning methods, modeled of Facts for Life. This aims to build communication for an in-depth understanding and assistance in selecting a suitable family planning method. This resource holds empowerment and voice in Mindanao to help earn knowledge and decision-making about family planning.

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URL: https://www.harvarddesignmagazine.org/issues/family-planning/

TITLE: Family Planning

DATE PUBLISHED: 2015

AUTHOR: Claire Barliant

KEY CONTENT: Examines how family dynamics are shaped in an environment and explores the diverse living spaces in traditional nuclear families. This focuses on how our homes can significantly affect us and our families. This exploration captures the influence of diverse living spaces in Mindanao by presenting alternatives and reimagining the space that suited the family model, fostering belongingness, inclusivity, and social cohesion.

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Family Planning - Harvard Design Magazine

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As family configurations evolve and atomize, and “exceptions” become the norm—divorced, blended, solo, cooperative, childless, single-parent, widowed, queer, aging, migrant, […]

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URL: https://youtu.be/PZuAOqp_t1s?si=f3lj6oEMJ_2dZ5HL

TITLE: Facing the tests of global family planning

DATE PUBLISHED: November 28, 2014

KEY CONTENT: India's mission aims to combat unintended pregnancies, population growth, and difficulties in providing access to services in rural parts of India. Fortunately, they have seen growth in women using contraception pills and continue to provide access in rural parts, with the aim of balancing the population with family planning. The strategy used as India reaches its mission can serve as a model to Mindanao in alleviating the lack of family planning and enhancing access to services, especially in rural areas.

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Facing the tests of global family planning

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URL: https://www.makatimed.net.ph/blogs/responsible-parenthood-18-family-planning-methods-you-should-know-about/

TITLE: Responsible Parenthood: 18 Family Planning Methods You Should Know About

DATE PUBLISHED: September 20, 2020

AUTHOR: Makati Medical Center

KEY INFO: Health/medical professionals must educate the public about family planning and responsible parenthood. As technologies grow through this generation, medical technology has a crucial role in people's access to different planning methods. However, most people are unaware of how to properly perform these methods (18 family planning methods) and end up having an unplanned pregnancy. The benefit of these methods is that they help governments regulate the population in the Philippines, especially in some Mindanao areas.

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Responsible Parenthood: 18 Family Planning Methods You Should Know About - Blogs - Makati Medical Center

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Parenthood is an experience unlike any other. Anyone who is dreaming of building his/her own family someday should know that maintaining the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of the child will be one of his/her biggest responsibilities. Unfortunately, not all children can experience the privilege of growing up in an ideal family environment.

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URL: https://youtu.be/HBlsiHPdp4k?si=wE9Ty1pRPm5WsJT-

TITLE: Department of Health (Philippines): Family Planning

DATE PUBLISHED: August 30, 2017

AUTHOR: Department of Health (Philippines)

KEY CONTENT: Family planning plays a vital role in maintaining harmony in the family. Couples who practice birth control and family planning tend to experience a stable life while being equipped to provide for the family's needs and wants, in contrast to those who do not. In Davao, impoverished families often face challenges, namely uncontrolled pregnancy, despite struggling with necessities.

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URL: https://www.davaocity.gov.ph/health/davao-city-heightens-family-planning-drive/

TITLE: Davao City Heightens Family Planning Drive

AUTHOR:

DATE PUBLISHED: August 2, 2022

KEY CONTENT: The Davao City Government, as it partners with the Department of Health, boosts its Family Planning Month campaign with the theme "Bata, Bata, Planado kang Ginawa," promoting family planning. They encourage couples to avail their free family planning or birth control while also spreading awareness of the role of family planning in molding relationships and responsibilities.

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URL: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning-contraception

TITLE: Family planning/contraception methods

DATE PUBLISHED: September 5, 2023

AUTHOR: World Health Organization

KEY CONTENT: Contraception is the most widely used form of birth control and family planning. In the Philippines, the majority of the women population used contraception due to its accessibility and user-friendliness. However, according to studies, these types of birth control will cause harm to the body, implying its necessity for proper guidance and evaluation from medical practitioners to ensure safety. In Mindanao, ensuring safe contraceptive practices is crucial to ensure safety in reproductive health while helping individuals in their family planning progress.

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Overview

There are many different types of contraception, but not all types are appropriate for all situations. The most appropriate method of birth control depends on an individual's overall health, age, frequency of sexual activity, number of sexual partners, desire to have children in the future, and family history of certain diseases. Ensuring access for all people to their preferred contraceptive methods advances several human rights including the right to life and liberty, freedom of opinion, expression and choice and the right to work and education, as well as bringing significant health and other benefits

Impact

Use of contraception prevents pregnancy-related health risks for women, especially for adolescent girls, and when expressed in terms of interbirth intervals, children born within 2 years of an elder sibling have a 60% increased risk of infant death, and those born within 2-3 years a 10% increased risk, compared with those born after an interval of 3 years or longer (4). It offers a range of potential non-health benefits that encompass expanded education opportunities and empowerment for women, and sustainable population growth and economic development for countries.

The number of women desiring to use family planning has increased markedly over the past two decades, from 900 million in 2000 to nearly 1.1 billion in 2021 (1).

Between 2000 and 2020, the number of women using a modern contraceptive method increased from 663 million to 851 million. An additional 70 million women are projected to be added by 2030. Between 2000 and 2020, the contraceptive prevalence rate (percentage of women aged 15-49 who use any contraceptive method) increased from 47.7 to 49.0% (5).

The proportion of women of reproductive age (aged 15-49 years) who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods (SDG indicator 3.7.1) is 77.5% globally in 2022, a 10% increase since 1990 (67%) (2).

Barriers

The proportion of women of reproductive age (aged 15-49 years) who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods (SDG indicator 3.7.1) is 77.5% globally in 2022, an increase of 10 percentage points since 1990 (67%) (2). Reasons for this slow increase include limited choice of methods; limited access to services, particularly among young, poorer and unmarried people; fear or experience of side-effects; cultural or religious opposition; poor quality of available services; users' and providers' bias against some methods; and gender-based barriers to accessing services. As these barriers are addressed in some regions there have been increases in demand satisfied with modern methods of contraception.

Contraceptive methods

Methods of contraception include oral contraceptive pills, implants, injectables, patches, vaginal rings, intra uterine devices, condoms, male and female sterilization, lactational amenorrhea methods, withdrawal and fertility awareness-based methods. These methods have different mechanisms of action and effectiveness in preventing unintended pregnancy. Effectiveness of methods is measured by the number of pregnancies per 100 women using the method per year. Methods are classified by their effectiveness as commonly used into:

very effective (0-0.9 pregnancies per 100 women)

effective (1-9 pregnancies per 100 women)

moderately effective (10-19 pregnancies per 100 women)

less effective (20 or more pregnancies per 100 women).

For details on the mechanism of action and effectiveness of different contraceptive methods, click here.
WHO response

Achieving universal access and the realization of sexual and reproductive health services will be essential to fulfil the pledge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that "no one will be left behind". It will require intensified support for contraceptive services, including through the implementation of effective government policies and programmes.

WHO is working to promote contraception by producing evidence-based guidelines on safety and service delivery of contraceptive methods and on ensuring human rights in contraceptive programmes. WHO assists countries to adapt and implement these tools to strengthen contraceptive policies and programmes. Additionally, WHO participates in developing new contraceptive technologies to and leads and conducts implementation research for expanding access to and strengthening delivery contraceptive information and services.
References
1. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2022). World Family Planning 2022: Meeting the changing needs for family planning: Contraceptive use by age and method. UN DESA/POP/2022/TR/NO. 4 ( https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/files/documents/2023/Feb/undesa_pd_2022_world-family-planning.pdf).

2. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2022). Estimates and Projections of Family Planning Indicators 2022.

3. United Nations Population Division: www.population.un.org/dataportal/home ( https://population.un.org/dataportal/home. Accessed May 17, 2023).

4. Cleland J, Conde-Agudelo A, Peterson H, Ross J, Tsui A. Contraception and health. Lancet. 2012;380(9837):149-156. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60609-6

5. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2020). World Family Planning 2020 Highlights: Accelerating action to ensure universal access to family planning (ST/ESA/SER.A/450).

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Fact sheet on family planning providing key facts and information on benefits of family planning, who provides family planning, contraceptive use, unmet need, contraceptive methods and WHO response.

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14.) NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION OR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION ARTICLE

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14.) NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION OR ACADEMIC INSTITUTION ARTICLE

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URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hpm.3683

TITLE: Improving the quality of family planning services in the Philippines: Barriers and opportunities

DATE PUBLISHED: July 24, 2023

AUTHOR: Trisolini, M., et al.

KEY CONTENT: This qualitative research conducted in the Philippines assesses barriers and opportunities to enhance family planning services and aims to identify themes and implications for amending the quality of programs. Examining different levels of the health systems to foster improvement in family planning outcomes while helping reduce teenage pregnancy rates. This research grasps relevance and guidance for Mindanao, offering insights that can help amend and address issues like teenage pregnancy and limited access to reproductive health services.

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URL: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/sdg/id1579867728?i=1000531075352

TITLE: SDG 3

DATE PUBLISHED: July 31, 2021

KEY INFO: Talks about SDG 3, which emphasizes securing health while fostering the wellness of all ages, focusing on potential actionable steps in reaching the goal. Spreading awareness about family planning improves maternal and child health and reduces infant mortality rates. This impacts Mindanao by encouraging access to healthcare services to foster development.

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this episode is going to be about SDG 3 I'm going to be letting u guys know some more information about what it is and how we can help in achieving the goal

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URL: https://reliefweb.int/report/world/family-planning-global-handbook-providers-updated-4th-edition-2022

TITLE: Family Planning: a Global Handbook for Providers

DATE PUBLISHED: November 15, 2022

AUTHOR: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs Knowledge for Health Project, USAID, World Health Organization

KEY CONTENT: The book provides a detailed guide for women on the available family planning options best suited to their requirements and health conditions. A series of books were released occasionally to provide updated guidelines and awareness of the risk one might have if family planning is not carefully evaluated and practiced. Ensuring medical practitioners in Mindanao collaborate with the government to hand proper information and guidelines will be presented to the people, ensuring public safety.

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PATTAYA, 15th November 2022 --- Today the World Health Organization (WHO) released important updates to its landmark Family Planning Handbook, which provides health workers and policy makers with the most current information on contraceptive options.

Drawing on lessons from recent outbreaks, this new edition details tangible measures for frontline health workers to protect access to family planning services during emergencies, such as wider access to self-administered contraceptives and the use of digital technologies by providers. It also expands guidance for women and young people at high risk of HIV.

"Family planning promotes self-actualisation, empowerment, as well as health and wellbeing, and reduces maternal and infant deaths through the prevention of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion," said Dr Pascale Allotey, WHO's Director for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. "This updated Family Planning Handbook is a vital resource, helping health workers support contraceptive users around the world in making informed choices about the right contraceptive options for them."

Experience from recent outbreaks shows that family planning services can be severely compromised during emergencies. During the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, approximately 70% of countries reported disruptions to these vital services - intensifying risks of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

To help avoid such outcomes in the future, the manual details practical measures that support continuity of family planning services during epidemics. These include wider access to self-administered contraceptives, and direct distribution of contraceptives through pharmacies. Health practitioners can also take steps to support ongoing contraceptive access even where physical mobility is reduced, such as providing multi-month supplies.

Self-administered contraceptives include condoms, contraceptive pills, some diaphragms, spermicides and most recently, the option of self-injection of DMPA (a progestin-only contraceptive) since this can now be safely administered just under the skin rather than into the muscle. Many women prefer injectable contraceptives since they are private and non-intrusive, requiring action only ever 2-3 months, with the option of self-injection likely to further increase uptake.

"The updated recommendations in this Handbook show that almost any family planning method can be used safely by all women, and that accordingly, all women should have access to a range of options that meet their unique needs and goals in life," said Dr Mary Gaffield, Scientist and lead author of the Handbook. "Family planning services can be provided safely and affordably so that no matter where they live, couples and individuals are able to choose from safe and effective family planning methods."

For the first time, the 2022 edition of the Handbook includes a dedicated chapter to guide family planning services for women and adolescents at high risk of HIV, including people living in settings where there is high HIV prevalence, those who have multiple sexual partners, or whose regular partner is living with HIV.

While only condoms protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, all contraceptive options - with the sole exception of nonoxynol-9 spermicide - are now considered safe for women and young people at high risk of HIV, i.e. have not been found to increase risk of HIV transmission or acquisition of infection. For those at high risk of HIV, the manual states that testing, counselling and first-line clinical care and referrals should all be offered as part of family planning services.

In addition, the Handbook incorporates the latest WHO guidance on cervical cancer and pre-cancer prevention, screening and treatment which can all be provided through family planning services; management of sexually transmitted infections, and family planning in postabortion care.

Now in its fourth edition, WHO's Family Planning Handbook is the most widely used reference guide on the topic globally, with over a million copies distributed or downloaded to date. It is complemented by the medical eligibility criteria tool for contraceptive use, also downloadable as a dedicated App.

The updated Handbook was released at the International Conference of Family Planning in Pattaya, Thailand. Support for its production and dissemination has been provided through the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Media Contacts
Laura Keenan
Communications Officer
World Health Organization
Telephone: +41 79 500 65 64
Email: keenanl@who.int

WHO Media Inquiries
Telephone: +41 22 791 2222
Email: mediainquiries@who.int

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Family Planning: a Global Handbook for Providers (Updated 4th Edition 2022) - World

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Manual and Guideline in English on World about Gender, Health, Epidemic and more; published on 15 Nov 2022 by Johns Hopkins Univ. and WHO

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URL: https://youtu.be/sdUsWuRq_I4?si=sZlKNVt9FGf_lAel

TITLE: Philippines: Making family planning possible for the poorest of the poor

DATE PUBLISHED: October 29, 2013

KEY CONTENT: This emphasizes the importance of access to contraception and reproductive health services, empowering women and families to make informed choices about their future. With support from UNFPA, the national government has procured commodities for family planning for the first time in over 40 years, providing necessary resources and contributing to combating the cycle of poverty and improving the community's well-being. The initiative could lend a foundation or guide in improving reproductive health services in Mindanao.

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Philippines: Making family planning possible for the poorest of the poor

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URL: https://www.ted.com/talks/melinda_gates_let_s_put_birth_control_back_on_the_agenda?language=en

TITLE: Let's put birth control back on the agenda

DATE PUBLISHED: April 2012

AUTHOR: Melinda Gates

KEY CONTENT: Melinda Gates discusses the importance of making birth control accessible to all, emphasizing that it is not about population control or abortion but about giving women the power to decide when they want to have children. She addresses concerns about population growth and the role of contraception, inviting people to join the conversation and share their stories to help bring this matter back on the global health agenda. Enhancing the accessibility of birth control in Mindanao can empower women with decision-making and reduce unintended pregnancy, fostering equality and sustainability in the region.

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Melinda Gates: Let's put birth control back on the agenda

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Contraception. The topic has become controversial in recent years. But should it be? Melinda Gates believes that many of the world's social change issues depend on ensuring that women are able to control their rate of having kids.

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URL: https://www.the-star.co.ke/sasa/lifestyle/2015-05-11-family-planning-future-rests-on-counties/

TITLE: Family planning future rests on counties

DATE PUBLISHED: May 11, 2015

KEY CONTENT: The art carries the message of Homa Bay County in implementing a Sh1.8 billion family planning strategy to break the high maternal mortality rate and HIV ascendancy, playing a role as a model for reproductive health strategies in Kenya. This urges other countries to prioritize providing access, specifically contraceptive access and designating a budget for family planning to aim for nationwide health progress by The National Council on Population and Development (NCPD). Improving access in Mindanao could address the lack of family planning, which equates to social and economic growth.

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Family planning future rests on counties

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Homa Bay may become the unlikely leader in family planning, despite having some of the poorest sexual and reproductive health outcomes in Kenya today.The lakeside county’s Sh1.8 billion five-year family planning strategy is now being touted as the way to go for other counties.Homa Bay suffers the highest HIV prevalence and the highest adolescent pregnancy rate in Kenya.

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URL:https://dhsprogram.com/topics/Family-Planning-old.cfm

TITLE: Knowledge, attitude, and practice of family planning services among healthcare workers in Kashmir - A cross-sectional study

DATE PUBLISHED: April 8, 2019

AUTHOR: J Family Med Prim Care

KEY CONTENT: Medical practitioners play a vital role in spreading awareness and information on what birth controls are best suited for each woman, as it depends on the requirement or situation that they are in. In the Philippines, due to poverty and the limited capacity of the government to provide such programs, women tend to use any available resources for family planning and birth control, regardless of its harmful effects. This impacts Mindanao in providing proper information and guidance from medical practitioners to lessen the risk and government support for societal improvement.

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Abstract

Background:

Researches have shown highest awareness but low utilization of contraceptives making the situation a serious challenge. Most of women in reproductive age group know little or have incorrect information about family planning methods. Even when they know the name of some of the contraceptives, they do not know where to get them or how to use it. These women have negative attitude about family planning, whereas some have heard false and misleading information, the current study aimed in assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice of family planning among female healthcare workers in Kashmir valley.

Method:

A self-administered questionnaire was served to the female multipurpose health workers of District Anantnag and Baramulla at a training conducted in Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Kashmir.

Result:

All the participants had heard about family planning methods. The major sources of information were trainers (78.8%). About 90.4% of the study participants gave correct response regarding the types of family planning. About 80.1% of the respondents had a favorable attitude toward family planning. Around three-fourths of the study participants practiced one or other method of family planning.

Conclusion:

Our study lead to the conclusion that the level of knowledge and attitude toward family planning was relatively low and FP utilization was quite low among the healthcare workers. In order to imbibe positive attitude among general public, the health workers need to be trained so as to inculcate the positive attitude in them leading to increased awareness among general public with regard to family planning.

Keywords: Family planning, healthcare workers, rural health care

Introduction

Family planning is a way of thinking and living that is adopted voluntarily upon the bases of knowledge, attitude, and responsible decisions by couples and individuals.[ 1] Family planning refers to a conscious effort by a couple to limit or space the number of children they have through the use of contraceptive methods.[ 2] Family planning deals with reproductive health of the mother, having adequate birth spacing, avoiding undesired pregnancies and abortions, preventing sexually transmitted diseases, and improving the quality of life of mother, fetus, and family as a whole.[ 3]

A woman can get pregnant if one of man's sperm reaches her egg (ovum). Contraception tries to stop this either by stopping egg production or by keeping the egg and the sperm apart or by stopping the implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterus. Contraception in the simplest terms is the prevention of pregnancy and contraceptive methods, by definition, are the preventive methods to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies.[ 4]

The global population today stands at 7.7 billion and is expected to reach 9 billion by the year 2045.[ 5] Increasing population is a global problem today and India having one-fifth of the world population and a growth rate of 16 million each year is the second most populated country in the world.[ 4] Uncontrolled population growth has been recognized as the most important impediment to our national development, despite the fact that India was the first country in the world to adapt a national population control program in 1952.[ 6] So, it is important at global as well as national scale to ensure that all pregnancies are wanted or intended.

Use of contraceptives can prevent at least 25% of all maternal deaths by preventing unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions and also protect against sexually transmitted infections,[ 7] such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Chlamydia, Syphilis, etc., A lack of knowledge of contraceptive methods, source of supply, cost, or poor accessibility are the barriers that exist in developing countries.[ 8]

Currently, short-term modern family planning methods are available at all levels of governmental and private health facilities, whereas long-term methods are being provided in health centers, hospitals, and private clinics.[ 9] The study done in Jimma, Ethiopia, showed that good knowledge about contraceptives does not necessarily match with the high contraceptive practice.[ 10]

WHO has developed recommendations on which types of health workers can safely and effectively provide specific family planning methods. WHO based these recommendations on the evidence that a wide variety of providers can safely and effectively provide contraception. Specific competency-based training and continued educational support help all types of healthcare providers do a better job at providing family planning.[ 11] In India, the spacing methods of contraception, viz. IUCDs (intrauterine contraceptive devices), OCPs (oral contraceptive pills), and Condoms are available at the public health facilities beginning from the subcenter level. Since OCPs, Condoms, and emergency contraceptive pills are not skill-based services, they are made available through trained ASHAs (accredited social health activists) and FMPHWs (female multipurpose health workers). Permanent methods of contraception viz. vasectomy and tubal ligation are generally available at primary health center level or above. They are provided by MBBS doctors or gynecologists who have been trained to provide the services.[ 12] If healthcare workers do not have an apt knowledge and a favorable attitude to practice family planning, the acceptance level and compliance of family planning services by their beneficiaries from those healthcare workers will be compromised. For primary healthcare physicians to comprehend the strategy that would be required to promote family planning services they need to know the level of knowledge, attitude of their team workers, and thus having an idea about their practice, ultimately their counseling drive and intent of motivation to beneficiaries.

Different researchers showed that the highest awareness but low utilization of contraceptives making the situation a serious challenge.[ 13, 14] Organizations' goal to promote family planning have suffered whenever the primary care human resource especially physicians did not have apt knowledge and favorable attitude toward family planning.[ 15] Most of reproductive age women know little or have incorrect information about family planning methods. Even when they know some names of contraceptives, they do not know where to get them or how to use it. These women have negative attitude about family planning, whereas some have heard false and misleading information[ 16, 17] and this study is aimed in assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of Family Planning among women of health care workers in Kashmir valley.

Materials and Methods

A self-administered questionnaire was served to the female multipurpose health workers of District Anantnag and Baramulla who were present for a training session conducted in Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Kashmir. This questionnaire was designed to explore KAPs about the available forms of Family planning methods. The data was analyzed and the results were presented as percentages and applying the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test. The results presented below pertain to KAP of health care workers.

Data processing and analysis

The collected data was cleaned, entered and analyzed using SPSS version 23 software. Descriptive statistics were employed to describe socio-demographic, KAP variables. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to determine association between variables. Associations were considered statistically significant when P value was < 0.05.

Results

Sociodemographic characteristics of participants

Among 94 participants, 52 were from Anantnag and rest from Baramulla. About 54% of the participants were Diploma holders. The monthly household income of the majority (71.3%) of the participants was less than Rs 12,000. Regarding the family size of the participants, majority (34.1%) of them had two or more children. The mean age of participants was 30.3 ± 4.9 years [ Table 1 ]. Almost two-third (68.1%) of participants were married, and 29.8% were single by their marital status.

Table 1

Age groups

Frequency (n=94)

Percent

Knowledge status of participants

All of the participants had ever heard about family planning methods. The major sources of information were trainers (78.8%) and self-study (9.8%). About 90.4% of the study participants gave correct response regarding the types of family planning. About 80.9% gave correct response regarding short-term hormonal contraceptive methods, 78.7% gave correct response regarding long-term hormonal contraceptive methods, 90.4% gave correct answer regarding permanent method of contraception, and 68.1% gave correct response regarding traditional methods of family planning.

Attitude status of participants

The majority (80.1%) of the respondents had a favorable attitude toward family planning. Out of the married participants, 57.4% had favorable attitude from their husbands toward family planning. Around 80% of the respondents had discussed adoption of family planning method and among them 45.7% had discussed it with their husbands. About 93.6% of the respondents encourage having appropriate gap between child birth. About 76.6% encouraged other married women for using family planning methods. Around one-fourth of respondents think that family planning method raises standard of living.

Practice on family planning

Around three-fourths (72.3%) of the study participants practiced one or other method of family planning. About 66.3% respondents think that adoption of family planning method leads to proper care of children. Half of the respondents were motivated by a doctor for adoption of a family planning method. Among participants who were married around three-fifth (60.3%) of respondents were currently practicing a family planning method. Among all participants around two-fifth (41.8%) of respondents intended to use a family planning method in future. Around two-fifth of respondents were using condoms as a family planning method.

Association of sociodemographic characteristics and mean KAP Scores

The association of demographic characteristics and mean KAP scores is presented in Table 2 . Among the demographic variables, family type and income was significantly associated with mean knowledge ( P < 0.05). Marital status and length of married life was significantly associated with attitude scores ( P < 0.05), whereas age group, marital status, length of married life, family type, number of children, and number of trainings were significantly associated with practice scores ( P < 0.05) [ Table 2 ].

Table 2

Description

n

Percentage

Knowledge score (mean rank)

P

N

Percentage

Attitude score (mean rank)

P

n

Percentage

Practice score (mean rank)

P

Age groups

Marital status

Age at marriage (year)

Length of married life

Children

Family type

Education

10 th Pass

10

12.82

40.50

0.407

9

15.25

28.72

0.390

5

7.93

39.10

0.683

12 th Pass

14

17.94

38.50

11

18.64

31.95

14

22.22

33.79

Income

Years of experience

Number of trainings

Correlation between KAP

Correlations were interpreted using the following criteria: 0-0.25 = weak correlation, 0.25-0.5 = fair correlation, 0.5-0.75 = good correlation, and > 0.75 = excellent correlation.[ 18] The correlation revealed significant positive linear correlations between knowledge-attitude ( r = 0.252, P < 0.05) knowledge-practice ( r = 0.025, P = 0.87), and attitude-practice ( r = 0.143, P = 0.33). The result reaffirms the relationship between KAP as shown in Table 3 .

Table 3

Variable

Correlation coefficient

P*

Discussion

Although India has a National Family planning program since 1952 at the primary care level and major efforts have been taken from time to time to improve its coverage and accessibility by involving the primary care level workers, but increasing program coverage is not enough unless all eligible women have adequate awareness as well as favorable attitude and a correct and consistent practicing of family planning methods as per their need. Increase of awareness, knowledge, and favorable attitude for family planning activities of eligible women are strongly recommended[ 19] and it is essential that the healthcare workers especially the primary care physicians themselves have sound knowledge, favorable attitude, and practice family planning. The results of this study showed that all of respondents had ever heard of family planning and their major source of information were trainings (78.8%), the majority (80.1%) of the respondents had a favorable attitude toward family planning and around three-fourths (72.3%) of study participants practiced one or other method of family planning. This finding was lower than a study conducted in Jimma zone, Southwest Ethiopia,[ 10] and another study done in Rohtak district, India.[ 20] The difference may be because the study done in Jimma zone, involved only coupled or married women. However, the findings were higher than a study conducted in Northwest Ethiopia in 2018.[ 14]

Previous studies have documented clear differences in family planning care provided by community health centers and other primary care providers compared with specialized family planning organizations, such as Planned Parenthood.[ 21, 22]

A case study from Texas expands on these findings by demonstrating the challenges that can arise when primary care providers, particularly those with limited experience in reproductive health care, are expected to begin offering family planning services. They interviewed program administrators, which also revealed that women's health organizations more easily adapted to the requirement of integrating family planning and primary care services during the first year of the Expanded Primary Health Care program, pointing to the key role these providers have in the network of care for low-income women. Unlike women's health organizations, primary care organizations in this study were first-time recipients of family planning contracts reported numerous operational challenges in launching a family planning program, whereas other established primary care contractors experienced difficulties expanding reproductive health services they offered. These agencies often had to train staff about the sexual and reproductive health issues that need to be addressed when women presented at their clinics. Similarly, administrators had to reorganize the delivery of care and develop strategies that would facilitate the provision of family planning services. While many respondents embraced these challenges and welcomed the opportunity to provide holistic care to women, the leadership at other organizations found that it was difficult to accommodate this shift to integrate family planning and did not believe such a focus was realistic for their setting or patient population. The reasons they cited, such as women's perceived lack of need for contraception, competing service priorities, and reliance on patients to initiate discussions about contraception, correspond to other reports of primary care providers' barriers to contraceptive care.[ 23, 24, 25] These findings suggest that even when funding is specifically tied to the provision of family planning, some community health centers and public health agencies may not be able to offer these services immediately and others may not readily adopt family planning at all into their model of care especially due to lack of commitment by the primary care physicians.

Primary care physicians who were already on the staff at these organizations often lacked training, and for some new contractors, clinician training was just one of many hurdles they faced starting a new family planning program. Even once providers were trained to place IUDs and implants, we found that not all of them felt comfortable offering these methods. As in other studies,[ 26, 27, 28] respondents at some of these organizations described protocols for providing these methods that were not evidence-based and instead restricted provision to adult women with children and required them to make multiple visits for medically unnecessary services. These practices are burdensome and may prevent women from obtaining timely access to the highly effective methods they would like to use to prevent pregnancy.

Community health centers, as well as public health departments involving primary care physicians, can be important partners in expanding the existing network of family planning providers and ensuring women obtain the reproductive health care they need. However, the more limited scope of family planning services currently offered by many of these agencies suggests that they will only be successful if they are provided with technical assistance to enhance and strengthen these services, such as skills training to provide a full range of contraceptive methods and education about evidence-based practices that will facilitate women's timely access to care.[ 22, 29]

While it may take time for new organizations to develop this expertise, the current network of government organizations already provides this type of care, and as evidenced by the current study, also more easily integrated family planning and primary care services and could provide more comprehensive care to new and existing clients but if the human resource including the primary care level workers do not possess apt knowledge and favorable attitude. It might lead to failure of the family planning service due to noncompliance.

Around 60.3% of respondents were currently practicing a family planning method which is almost in line with a study done in Cambodia[ 30] and higher than a study done in rural part of Jordan[ 13] and another study in India,[ 31] but it was lower than studies conducted in Jimma zone, Ethiopia,[ 10] Rohtak district, India,[ 20] urban slum community of Mumbai,[ 32] and in Sikkim,[ 33] India[ 34] in which 64%, 62%, 65.6%, and 62% of participants, respectively, used family planning. The difference might be due to the fact that the study participants in Jimma zone, Rohtak, and Mumbai were relatively residing in a large city/town and this may help them to have a better access for family planning compared with this study. In this study, the most common contraceptive used was condom 47.6%, which is comparable to the study by Ashwini Nayak et al. in which most of them were using condom (59%),[ 34] followed by OCPs (23.8%) and IUCD (15.8%). Among sociodemographic factors, family type and income was significantly associated with mean knowledge. Marital status and length of married life was significantly associated with attitude scores, whereas age group, marital status, length of married life, family type, number of children, and number of trainings were significantly associated with practice scores. Similar findings were found in a study conducted in Patiala.[ 35] This study also showed that knowledge and attitude of the study participants were related to family planning utilization although weak on correlation. The attitude and practice also showed a correlation although weak, this might be due to the fact that attitude influences practice for specific activities.

Although primary care organizations experiences expanding family planning services in the region are unique to the recent policy history and constellation of programs in J and K state, the challenges identified in this study foreshadow the already available services at primary care level. Because the fundamental shifts in practices that would be required to provide the same evidence-based care at many primary care organizations may not take place immediately, low-income women wanting to prevent pregnancy may be unlikely to obtain services when they need them. Therefore, to fulfill the goal that all low-income women have access to comprehensive reproductive health care, publicly funded family planning programs should continue to support a robust and diverse network of providers, including specialized family planning organizations.

Conclusion and Recommendation

On the basis of observations of our study, it was concluded that knowledge and attitude of family planning methods were directly related to each other. The level of knowledge and attitude toward family planning was relatively low and the level of family planning utilization was quite low in comparison with many studies. Study participant's age group, marital status, length of married life, family type, number of children, and number of trainings were significantly associated with practice scores. Health workers should teach the community on family planning practices in a comprehensive manner so as to increase the awareness and develop a favorable attitude so that family planning utilization will be enhanced. Further, more studies are needed in exploring reasons affecting the nonutilizing of family planning and how these can be addressed.

Limitation of the Study

Since the data were collected using a self-administered questionnaires, some of the participants would have been unable to understand the questionnaire completely and the reported KAP might be overestimated or underestimated. We did not utilize qualitative method of data collection to gather study participant's internal feeling about family planning, so that triangulation was possible. In addition, we did not take into consideration the barriers for utilizing contraception.

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

References

1. World Health Organization. Standards for Maternal and Neonatal Care. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2007. [ Google Scholar]

2. Survey H. Central Statistical Agency. Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey 2016 Key Indicators Report. Addis Ababa and Maryland, Ethiopia. 2016 [ Google Scholar]

4. Park K. Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine. 17th ed. Jabalpur: Banarasidas Bhanot; 2002. pp. 325-58. [ Google Scholar]

12. Welfare UF, Fertility T, Goals D. Family Planning. 2002 [ Google Scholar]

30. Sreytouch V. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of Family Planning among Married Women in Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia [ Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care are provided here courtesy of Wolters Kluwer -- Medknow Publications

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Knowledge, attitude, and practice of family planning services among healthcare workers in Kashmir - A cross-sectional study

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Researches have shown highest awareness but low utilization of contraceptives making the situation a serious challenge. Most of women in reproductive age group know little or have incorrect information about family planning methods. Even when they know ...