Family planning is the planning of when to have and use birth techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexual education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted diseases, pre-conception counseling, management and infertility management. However, family planning is usually used as a synonym for the use of birth control. It is most adopted by couples who wish to limit the number of children they want to have and control the timing of pregnancy, also known as spacing of children. Family planning may encompass sterilization, as well as pregnancy termination. It also includes raising a child with methods that require significant amount of resources namely: time, social, financial and environmental. Family planning measures are designed to regulate the number and spacing of children within a family, largely to curb population growth and ensure each family has access to limited resources. Family planning is always recommended for people in rural area so as to maintain a health standard of living. Recently most of the undergraduate projects for health and economics related subjects have been centered on family planning.
While socioeconomic factors are the social and economic experiences and realities that help mold one's personality, attitudes, and lifestyle. The factors can also define regions and neighborhoods.
Socio economic factors however, play most crucial role in not only deciding the choice of family planning method to be used but also whether to use any method at all or not. Socio economic factors that influence utilization of family planning methods are overpopulation, poverty, corruption, education, religion, caste related violence, cost, partner involvement etc.
However, there are some contraceptive methods of family planning that are expensive, and some couples cannot afford to use or purchase them due to their financial situations in the society. For instance, people in rural areas cannot afford to use the expensive contraceptive methods of family planning such as vasectomy, Intra-uterine devices (IUD) (which are small, flexible, plastic frame inserted in the vagina of women) and female sterilization method.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
Socioeconomics (also known as social economics) is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how modern societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of their local or regional economy, or the global economy. Societies are divided into three groups: social, cultural and economic. It also refers to the ways that social and economic factors influence the environment.
Social economics examines the interaction of economic valuations with economic activity and economic institutions and measures their outcome against basic ethical values. Socio-economic development embraces changes taking place in the social sphere, mostly of an economic nature.
FAMILY PLANNING
Family planning services are "the ability of individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their births. It is achieved through use of contraceptive methods and the treatment of involuntary infertility.
Family planning helps protect women from any health risks that may occur before, during or after childbirth. These include high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, infections, miscarriage and stillbirth.
It is worthy of note that Family planning can significantly reduce the risk of maternal, newborn, infant, and child illness and death by preventing a high-risk pregnancy in women with certain health conditions or characteristics, or by preventing an unplanned pregnancy. Women typically welcome pregnancy and childbirth, especially when planned.
THE NEED FOR FAMILY PLANNING
i. Family planning saves the lives of women, newborns, children, and teenage girls: Family planning can significantly reduce the risk of maternal, newborn, infant, and child illness and death by preventing a high-risk pregnancy in women with certain health conditions or characteristics, or by preventing an unplanned pregnancy. Women typically welcome pregnancy and childbirth, especially when planned. However, many pregnancies are unintended or mistimed, and the risk of illness and death associated with these events can be very high.
ii. Family planning lowers the number of unplanned pregnancies and abortions: The primary reason for abortion is to end an unplanned pregnancy. To reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thus the number of abortions, women must have access to contraceptive information and services where women received high-quality contraceptive services, the number of abortions decreased.
iii. Family planning benefits families and communities: When couples have only the number of children they want, there are fewer children needing educational and other community services. Healthy children are better able to learn, which puts less strain on teachers and schools. Personal savings and investments increase when working parents have fewer dependents to support. Family planning results in smaller, healthier families that are better able to care for themselves.
The health, education, and public services of communities are less burdened. There are fewer children to immunize and treat. This means health resources can be utilized more efficiently, with less overcrowding in hospitals and at clinics. With fewer children to educate, schools will be less crowded, and teachers will be able to pay more attention to every child. There will be lower demands on clean water, sanitation, transportation, and other public services. By embracing family planning programs, communities strengthen their ability to provide public services and improve the lives of their families.
iv. Family planning benefits nations by enabling increased public spending per person in all sectors: Governments around the world are focused on combating poverty and achieving a range of health and development goals, such as those outlined in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Family planning contributes to achieving nearly all of these goals. Reducing the number of unplanned births and having smaller families helps to reduce the level of need for public-sector spending in health, water, sanitation, education, and other social services. Preventing unplanned pregnancy among HIV infected women is the most cost-effective way of preventing maternal to child transmission of HIV. Family planning helps nations to reach social and economic goals, beginning at the community level. Family planning is an important and cost-effective investment for governments and contributes to multiple economic and health priorities, including reducing poverty.
v. Family planning reduces the burden on natural resources and the environment: Family planning not only has an impact on the health and well-being of families but also contributes to better management and conservation of natural resources and eases population pressure on local ecosystems. The population level in a country has a profound impact on the demands placed on limited natural resources. Rapidly growing populations increase demand for scarce natural resources and put pressure on water, trees, farmland, wildlife, and ecosystems. Smaller families help to protect natural resources and keep them from being overused and destroyed.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS AND THE NEED FOR FAMILY PLANNING
Family planning is an effective way of controlling fertility. Low fertility leads to a slower population growth. It has long been acknowledged as an effective public health intervention, highly cost-effective in decreasing maternal and child health burden of disease. Globally, the use of modern contraceptive methods and the desire for smaller families has been increasing. However, large disparities between rich and poor still exist in access to services, resulting in disproportionately high unmet need for the poor. The causes of unmet need are mainly related to poor access to services, lack of correct information, social opposition to use, and concerns (whether warranted or not) about side effects.
Socio economic factors however, play most crucial role in not only deciding the choice of family planning method to be used but also whether to use any method at all or not. Socio economic factors that influence utilization of family planning methods are overpopulation, poverty, corruption, education, religion, caste related violence, cost, partner involvement etc.
CONCLUSION
Family planning is an effective public health intervention with multiple individual and societal benefits. It lowers fertility rates therefore paying a demographic dividend. It helps couples achieve their desired family size and can help lower maternal and child mortality critical Millennium Development Goals. Family planning does not limit rights; it gives people choices by providing them the tools to control the timing and number of children to have. Meeting the fertility preferences of individual families is undoubtedly a desirable objective on reproductive rights grounds and in many countries would at the same time address the objective to reduce population growth rates. The need for family planning is clear. However, Socioeconomic factors like education, socioeconomic class, age, number of living children were significantly affect uses of contraceptive. So level of education is influencing factor for adaptation of contraception.
The direct impact of making family planning available includes decreasing both maternal and child mortality, decreasing unsafe abortion, reducing population growth, and meeting the desires of men and women worldwide for smaller families with larger spacing between their children. It is therefore imperative to continue to expand the provision of family planning services.