Clears throat 

Bolu: Ehn Atinuke, I hope amid your excitement about your proposal, you are looking into family planning methods with your partner.

Atinuke: Family planning keh?

What is that?

Do you plan your family?

Are there controllable methods for planning your family?

Bolu: Atinuke!!!!.....

Sit here, let me educate you, madam.

What is family planning?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), family planning is defined as “the ability of individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their births. Simply put, Family planning is simply the process of deciding when and how many children to have. It entails making informed choices about contraception, fertility awareness, and other related factors. Family planning is the information, means, and methods that allow individuals to decide if and when to have children.

Factors that affect family planning.

Family planning is a complex decision influenced by various factors, including:

Personal Beliefs and Values

 Religious, cultural, and personal beliefs can play a significant role in family planning decisions.

Health Considerations

Both the mother's and father's health can impact family planning choices.

Economic Factors

 Financial stability and the cost of raising children can influence family size.

Educational Goals

Career aspirations and educational plans can affect the timing of children.

Relationship Status

Whether a couple is married, single, or in a committed relationship can influence their family planning decisions.

Access to Contraception

 Availability and affordability of contraception can impact family planning choices.

Cultural Norms and Expectations

Societal expectations and cultural norms regarding family size and composition can influence decisions.

Methods of family planning.

There are different methods of family planning and these different methods are peculiar to different people. Some of these methods include:

1. Hormonal Methods

This method makes use of hormones to prevent pregnancy. Some of these methods include:

  Oral Contraceptives (Birth Control Pills): Contain hormones to prevent ovulation.

 Patches: A weekly adhesive patch that releases hormones that prevent pregnancy.

 Vaginal Rings: A flexible ring inserted into the vagina to deliver hormones. 

Injections: Long-acting injections (LAIs) like Depo-Provera provide hormonal contraception for three months.

Implants: Small rods inserted under the skin to release hormones continuously.

2. Barrier Methods

This method involves physical means of preventing sperm from reaching the eggs for fertilization. Some of these methods include:

 Condoms: Prevent sperm from reaching the egg.

 Diaphragm:A dome-shaped device used with spermicide.

 Cervical Cap: This is similar to the diaphragm but smaller.

3. Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)

These are small devices inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. It can either be: 

   Copper IUDs: Prevent fertilization through a copper-based reaction.

  OR

Hormonal IUDs: Release progestin to thicken cervical mucus and prevent ovulation.

4. Sterilization

This involves permanent surgical procedures to prevent pregnancy. They include:

Tubal Ligation: This is surgically blocking the fallopian tubes.

 Vasectomy: This is surgically cutting and sealing the vas deferens.

5. Natural Family Planning

 This method involves manually tracking a woman's fertility cycle to identify fertile and infertile days.

What are the side effects?

These different methods of family planning have different side effects on different people. They include:

Hormonal Methods

These hormones can cause irregular bleeding, breast tenderness, mood changes, and headaches.

Barrier Methods

May cause discomfort or allergic reactions. It may also cause reduced sensations during intercourse.

Intra Uterine Devices

IUDs can cause cramping, bleeding, and pelvic pain.

Sterilization

It can lead to surgical risks and potential complications.

Natural family planning

It may require prolonged phases of abstinence from sexual intercourse between couples.

Merits of Family Planning

Health Benefits

It lowers the risk of unintended pregnancies, STIs, and maternal mortality.

Economic Benefits

Family planning enables couples to plan for their families and financial future.

Social Benefits

Family planning empowers women and contributes to gender equality by giving women ample rights to decide how and when they want to have kids.

Environmental Benefits

 Family planning helps in addressing population growth and resource depletion.

Demerits of Family Planning

Apart from the wonderful benefits of family planning, there are still some demerits.

Some of these demerits include:

Ethical Concerns

As beneficial as family planning is,  some religious or cultural beliefs may oppose certain methods.

Accessibility Issues

Some of these families have limited access to these family planning method services in some regions.

Side Effects

Some methods may have unwanted side effects like physical and psychological impacts on the body.

Misuse

Without proper knowledge of how to use these family planning methods, there is a high risk of ineffectiveness.

Conclusion 

Family planning is an important part of family growth and it is a decision that should be made in consultation with a healthcare provider. By understanding the various methods, factors, and benefits of family planning, individuals can make better choices that align with their personal goals and values. Plan your life.