Why do women fail to utilise available family planning services?

Abstract

This study was conducted to find out why women under utilize the available family planning services in Lusaka urban. A sample of fifty (50) women of age 15 - 49 years were randomly selected from three health centres namely Chilenje,Kamwala and Kalingalinga. The data was collected during the months of April and May 1990. The results of the study show that clinic services favour married women. 80 percent of respondents were married. Clinic based factors also came out strongly as being unfavourable. These are overcrowding, long queues and the health providers' negative attitude to the clients. Social economic factors identified also influence the mothers utilization of services. There is great need to make our health delivery centres more accessible, acceptable and more accommodating to mothers, if we are to increase and sustain the numbers of family planning acceptors.