Unmet Needs for Family Planning

**[L11: Unmet needs for family planning]** - Unmet need: women exposed to the risk of pregnancy, seeking to delay/avoid pregnancy but not using any contraception - Total demand for family planning = CPR + Unmet need - Levels of unmet needs vary by regions, countries, population-subg...

**[L11: Unmet needs for family planning]** - Unmet need: women exposed to the risk of pregnancy, seeking to delay/avoid pregnancy but not using any contraception - Total demand for family planning = CPR + Unmet need - Levels of unmet needs vary by regions, countries, population-subgroups - Contraceptive use is much higher among wealth women (but still not a defined relationship) - Also not a clear relationship between education and contraceptive use despite a strong association between the two - Unmet need reflects the aspect of volunteerism and choice - Causes of unmet needs: - Lack of access to preferred provider - Physical access to services is poor (rural, lack of transport/infrastructure) - Actual and opportunity costs - Some sub-groups are underserved (e.g. adolescents) - Lack of choice of method - Provider incompetence - Lack of information for clients - Lack of follow-up care and provider-client relationship - Fear of side effects - Pronatalist policies - Concerns about unfaithfulness - Fear of side effects by family members - Objection to male providers - Meeting unmet needs: - Improving access to good quality services - Choice of methods - Eliminating physical barriers ensuring confidentiality - Improved communication and education about family planning (mitigate misinformation) - Promoting husband's/male involvement - Linking FP to other services