Abstract

The present study aimed at investigating females aged 15 – 35 years’ knowledge of family in the Bokwai community. The significance of the study was to reduce unwanted pregnancies and to help in other research.

It was a descriptive design using the cross-sectional method. A convenient sampling technique was used with a sample size of 100 females aged 15-35 years in the Bokwai community.

Data was collected using questionnaires. This study was conducted from December 2021 to April 2022. A total of 100 female were enrolled with ages ranging from 15-35year.

About 68% of women had knowledge of family planning, 85% had knowledge of the various methods of family planning and just 54% of women had knowledge importance of family planning while 80% had challenges hindering them from using family planning.

Conclusively, participants had knowledge of family planning, they also had knowledge of the various methods of family planning but had poor knowledge of the importance of family planning.

Subsequently, more researches on importance of family planning, educational and counselling interventions should be undertaken among female age 15-35 years. Family planning massages directed to men need to be included too.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION.

Introduction

This chapter specifically gives an introduction to the study, background of study, statement of problem, objectives, significance of study, scope of study, operational and conceptual definition.

Background.

Family planning was set up in 1936. It was first known as the sex hygiene and birth regulation society (Mosher et al., 1995). At that time, contraception was basic and unreliable Adamson David M, Nancy Belden et al 2000.During the 20th century, the hallmark of family planning in the United States has been the ability to achieve desired birth spacing and family size. (Bongaarts et al., 1996).

Also in the 1912, the modern birth control movement began when Margaret Sanger, a public health nurse concerned about the adverse health effects of frequent childbirth, miscarriages and abortions, initiated efforts to circulate information about contraception’s. (Mosher WD, Bachrach et al., 1995)

According to J Webster 2021 theory, family planning can lengthen birth intervals and potentially reduce the risk of death, low birth weight, prematurity and being small for gestational age. (Guiella et al., 2019).

Also, according to Karl E Bauman and J. Richard Udry, the plan for federally subsidized family planning services in the World states is to enable Americans to have only those children they want by providing physician- administered contraception to all who need them priority given to the poor. Substantial reduction in unwanted births must be attributed to the program before it is judged a success.  (Rahman et al., 2012)

Family planning is the ability of individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children the timing and spacing of their birth WHO 2010. According to Machiyama kazuyo, family planning provides many benefits to mother as it enables her to gain her health after delivery, it is also important to the child as it helps children to get all the attention, security, love and care they deserve. (Machiyama et al., 2017) Children born after a birth interval of 1 year or less are 2 times more likely to die than children born after birth interval of 2 years.

The provision of family planning services would also help couples overcome infertility problems and provide women to pursue educational and employment goals.

Globally the incident of many women couples want to postpone or avoid pregnancy. In 2020, among 1.9 billion women of reproductive age 15 to 49years, 1.1 billion women are considered to have a need for family planning that they desire to limit or delay childbearing.

Of these women 85 million are using a modern method of contraception and 85 million women are using no method at all, despite their desire to avoid pregnancy, and thus they are considered to have unmet needs for family planning. (Muhoza et al., 2016).

Also, the incident of birth to very young women, both married and unmarried is growing each year approximately 13 million children are born to young mothers. The percentage of life birth to mothers under the age of 20 ranges from 20% in some African and Caribbean countries, to 10 to 15% in many Latin American countries, 5 to 10% in Asia and 1% in Japan. (Monroy et al., 2012)

In Africa, family planning services began in 1966 in Ethiopia with the establishment of the family guidance associated in Ethiopia (Montez et al., 2011). In 2000, only 6.3% of women in Ethiopia were using any modern contraceptives and those where predominantly urban women using pills and injectables. The high rate of infants and maternal mortality and morbidity observed in Africa could be because women of reproductive age endure frequent pregnancy throughout their reproductive life span.  This can be reduced through the provisions of adequate family planning services. (WHO,2010)

In Cameroon, the Cameroon National Planning Association for family welfare was created in 1987 to respond to the needs of women who wanted to plan their families and enjoy high standard of living. Approximately hundred thousand women who want no more children do not currently practice family planning or contraception.

This is also high unmet needs in Cameroon for more effective and safer contraceptive method. (Garenne et al., 2014).  Despite the benefits of modern contraception and family planning especially in protecting the health of women and asserting their reproductive rights, the rates of unmet needs for family planning is still very high in Cameroon.

The prevalence of the unmet need’s ranges from 15 to 58%. (Wullifan et al 2016). The rate of voluntary induced abortion in Cameroon remain very high in Yaounde  (urban) was 25.5% against 27%.1% in rural settings (Wum District Hospital). (Ngowa et al., 2015). Increasing the use of modern contraception in Cameroon will go a long way to reduce the already high rates of voluntary induced abortion and their complications.

Problem Statement

Family planning is the ability of individuals and couples to anticipate and attain they’re their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their birth (WHO).

Globally, the incident of many women, couples want to postpone or avoid pregnancy, about 1.9 billion women of reproductive age 15 to 49 years, 1.1 billion women are considered to have a need for family planning that they desire to limit or delay childbearing and about 85 million women were using no method at all despite their desire to avoid pregnancy and thus they are considered to have inadequate knowledge and unmet needs of family planning (Muhoza et al., 2016).

In Africa in research carried out in 2000 only 36% of women were using any Morden contraceptives and those were predominantly urban women using pills and injectables (Montez et al., 2011) which led to a high rate of infants and maternal mortality and morbidity because women of childbearing age endure frequent pregnancy throughout their reproductive life span.

National in Cameroon, approximately hundreds of thousands of women who want no more children do not currently practice family planning or contraception (Gavene et al., 2014) The prevalence of unmet needs ranges from 15 to 58% (Wullifan et al., 2016).

The effects of lack of adequate family planning services would lead to a voluntary induced abortions, high infant and maternal mortality and morbidity rate, unintended pregnancies, increased rate of poverty, low standard of living among families, malnourished children, low birth weight.

Also, in a research carried out by (Jobert Richie 2015), showed that despite the adequate knowledge of family planning as 98% of the population were aware of at least one contraceptive method, there are just 12% of women were using any of these contraceptives.

While living in the Bokwai community I noticed a lot of young women committing criminal abortion, having unwanted pregnancies, school dropout due to early pregnancy. To satisfy my curiosity, I decided to conduct a study in the Bokwai community to investigate female knowledge on family planning.

Objectives

General Objective

To investigate female (15-35) years knowledge on family planning in the Bokwai community

Specific objectives

1. To investigate female knowledge of family planning.
2. To investigate female knowledge of the various methods and importance of family planning.
3. To investigate the challenges females face in using family planning.

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