The expert committee (1971) of the WHO defined family planning as “a way of thinking and living that is adopted voluntarily, upon the basis of knowledge, attitudes and responsible decisions by individuals and couples, in order to promote the health and welfare of the family group and thus contribute effectively to the social development of the country”

Another expert committee defined family planning as follows:

Family planning refers to practices that help individuals or couples to attain certain objectives:

a) To avoid unwanted births.

b) To bring about wanted births.

c) To regulate the intervals between pregnancies.

d) To control the time at which births occur in relation to the ages of the parents.

e) To determine the number of children in the family.

Is family planning the same as contraception?

No! Family planning is not the same as contraception. Contraception refers to preventive methods to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies.

Family Planning as a basic human right

Family planning is considered as a basic human right.

Family planning as a basic human right has been endorsed in many international conferences.

i) The United Nations Conference on Human Rights held at Teheran (Iran) in 1968.

ii)The Bucharest conference on the world population held in August 1974 endorsed the same view: It stated in its plan of action that “All couples and individuals have the basic human right to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children and to have access to the information and means to enable them to exercise that right.

Is Family Planning and Birth Control the same?

Yes! Family planning and birth control are synonymous.

However one has to note that family planning is more than just “Birth Control”

What does family planning include? (The Scope)

A WHO expert committee (1970) has stated that family planning includes:

a) The proper spacing and limitation of births.

b) Advice on sterility.

c) Education for parenthood.

d) Sex education.

e) Screening for pathological conditions related to the reproductive system (eg Cervical Cancer).

f) Genetic counselling.

g) Premarital consultation and examination.

h) Carrying out pregnancy tests.

i) Marriage counselling.

j) The preparation of couples for the arrival of their first child.

k) Providing services for unmarried mothers.

l) Teaching home economics and nutrition.

m)Providing adoption services.

What are the health benefits of family planning?

This will be discussed under three broad headings:

a)Benefit to the health of the Woman

Pregnancy always carries a slight risk to the mothers health, sometimes even endangering her life.

This slight risk is much higher in developing countries. There is also an increase in risk as the mother grows older. Therefore family planning which reduces the number and increases the interval between pregnancies reduces maternal mortality and morbidity and improves health.

i) Reduction of unwanted pregnancies: This indirectly improves the health status of the mother by reducing the rate of intentional abortion (Induced abortions). Induced abortions carry a great risk to the mother such as bleeding and infections. (Complications of abortion will be covered in detail in a subsequent post).

ii) Limiting the number of births and proper spacing: improper spacing reduces the nutritional status of the mother and therefore increasing the risk of pregnancy. Women who are having greater than 5 children have a much higher risk of uterine rupture, post partum haemorrhage, eclampsia and placenta previa.

iii) Timing of pregnancy: The age of pregnancy also affects the risk of pregnancy. The risk is much higher if the mother is less than 20 years or greater than 35 years.

b) Foetal Health

Down’s Syndrome , a common congenital abnormality is clearly associated with an increase in maternal age.

c) Benefits to the Child’s Health

i) Reduction in child mortality and morbidity.

ii)Increased growth rate and nutritional status of the child.

iii)Reduced incidence of infectious diseases.

iv)increased intelligence in children in small families.

References

i) Park’s Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine- K. Park M.B.B.S. and M.S 17th Edition

ii)Short Textbook of Public Health Medicine for the Tropics by Adetokunbo O. Lucas and Herbert M Gilles 4th Edition

Adetokunbo O Lucas : OFR MD DSc DPH DTM&H SMHyg FRCP FMPCH FFCM FRCOG Adjunct Professor of International Health, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA; Visiting Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London; formerly Professor of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Ibadan.

Herbert M Gilles: BSc MD MSc DSc FRCP FFCM FMCPH DTM&H DMedSc Emeritus Professor, University of Liverpool; Visiting Professor of Public Health, University of Malta; formerly Professor of Tropical Medicine and Dean, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool; formerly Professor of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Ibadan.

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