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Family planning is a crucial aspect of reproductive health that enables individuals and couples to make informed decisions about when and how many children to have. In developing countries, where population growth rates are often high, family planning plays an even more critical role. This blog article will guide the importance of family planning to young couples in developing countries through a comprehensive examination of its benefits, its impact on maternal and child health, economic development, and gender equality.
Benefits of Family Planning
Family planning as its name suggests empowers individuals, particularly young couples, to take control of their reproductive lives. By offering a range of contraceptive methods, family planning allows couples to choose the most suitable option based on their health, preferences, and circumstances. This choice enables them to delay pregnancy until they are ready, ensuring they can complete their education, pursue careers, and achieve financial stability.
Also, family planning allows couples to have the desired number of children, preventing unplanned pregnancies and reducing the risk of unsafe abortions.
The estimated abortion rate in Nigeria is 33 per 1,000 women between ages 15-49, 1.25 million induced abortions occurred in 2012 with one in seven pregnancies ending in abortions. This makes it one of the leading causes of maternal deaths according to (Kareem, 2022).
Impact on Maternal and Child Health
One of the most significant benefits of family planning is its impact on maternal and child health. In developing countries, where access to quality healthcare is often limited, family planning services provide women with a means to space and prevent high-risk pregnancies. With access to family planning services, women who suffer from pregnancy related complications can still choose to enjoy intimacy without any fear of conception.
Studies have connected some positive effects of family planning to reducing symptoms of existing health conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. In an article published by PubMed, researchers found evidence of hormone use in stabilizing the cellular membranes of red blood cells in women with sickle cell anemia. (Brown, 2015)
Adequate spacing between pregnancies reduces the risk of maternal mortality, as it allows women’s bodies to recover fully from the previous pregnancy, minimizing complications during subsequent pregnancies. Furthermore, family planning programs offer essential prenatal care, ensuring that pregnant women receive vital medical attention, such as antenatal check-ups, nutritional support, and access to skilled birth attendants. These interventions significantly contribute to reducing maternal and infant mortality rates.
Economic Development
Family planning is not only crucial for individual and family well-being but also plays a significant role in economic development, especially in developing countries. High population growth rates can strain already limited resources, leading to increased poverty, food insecurity, and inadequate access to education and healthcare.
Nigeria’s most recent census figures put its population within the range of 200 million in its most recent Multidimensional Poverty Index Report, published in 2022 by the (National Bureau of Statistics, 2022). More emphasis needs to be placed on empowering the youth population to engage in economic activity that can stimulate growth and prosperity.
Through family planning, young couples that plan and space their pregnancies help reduce population growth rates, allowing developing countries to allocate resources more efficiently. This, in turn, stimulates economic development by reducing the dependency ratio, increasing the proportion of working-age individuals, and boosting productivity. Also, family planning has been shown to lead to higher levels of education, particularly among women, as they have greater opportunities to complete their education and participate in the workforce.
Promoting Gender Equality
Family planning is a critical tool for promoting gender equality, empowering women, and challenging traditional gender roles. In many African countries, women face significant barriers to accessing education, healthcare, and economic opportunities due to early and frequent pregnancies. By providing women with the means to control their reproductive
lives, family planning enables them to make decisions about their careers, education, and overall well-being. Family planning programs also include comprehensive sexuality education, empowering young women to make informed choices about their bodies and relationships. Through increased access to birth control, societies can reduce gender-based violence and promote women’s rights.
Family planning is of utmost importance for young couples everywhere, developing nations or not. By offering individuals and couples the opportunity to make informed decisions about their reproductive lives, family planning can greatly impact the quality, lifespan, health and well-being of families.
Incorporating Family Planning programs into the healthcare systems of developing countries is vital for improving the overall well-being of individuals, families, and the wider society at large. Although huge strides have been achieved, advocacy must continue until it can expand access to family planning, aiming to overcome cultural, social, and economic barriers that hinder its implementation. Only by recognizing and supporting the importance of family planning can developing countries achieve sustainable development, improve health outcomes, and empower their populations.
The Epharma4FP project led by the Society for Family Health is focused on optimizing family planning service provision through e-pharmacy systems.
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