Elements of Family Planning Success

This study is an evaluation of the family planning knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Indian married youth as well as the demand-side effects of a youth-friendly family planning (FP) initiative in India known as the Saathiya campaign.

The Saathiya campaign includes messages and materials disseminated to young, low-income, married couples through channels such as billboards, radio, community theater, and a helpline. The Saathiya campaign aims to motivate young, married couples to seek family planning (FP) information and products at medical shops, through Indigenous Systems of Medical Providers (ISMPs), and from physicians such as obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs) and family doctors.

The study reflects a baseline survey conducted on young Indian married couples' FP knowledge, attitudes, and practices to:

1. inform programme development by better understanding the existing situation and needs of married youth in Lucknow
2. serve as a baseline against which to compare changes over time and evaluate elements of the programme, with a follow-on survey planned for early 2009.

The study found that overall, approximately only 58 per cent of all respondents had ever used a FP method. It reports that those who had never used a contraceptive method, the primary reason for non-use was that they desired to become pregnant (75 per cent in Lucknow; 73 per cent in Kanpur).

The study further points out that among those who had used a contraceptive method, condoms were by far the most common method used (77 per cent in Lucknow; 71 per cent in Kanpur), followed by OCPs (30 per cent in Lucknow; 19 per cent in Kanpur). In both cities, approximately three-fourths of ever users reported that they were currently using a contraceptive method (75 per cent in Lucknow; 76 per cent in Kanpur).

However, in conclusion the study found that after questioning participants about fertile periods, emergency contraception and alike, the proportion of households feeling that they are well-informed about different FP methods was rather low (41 per cent in Lucknow and 27 per cent in Kanpur). Therefore the study recommends further and continuous analysis as well as more programmes and interventions to help resolve this issue.