Assessment of Family Planning Counseling Provided for Postpartum Women and Associated Factors

Abstract

Background. Good quality family planning counseling particularly in the postpartum period is paramount to contraception adoption and continuation; it is also paramount in the reduction of maternal as well as infant morbidity and mortality. Objective. Assess the level of family planning counseling provided for women in their immediate postpartum period in the labor ward at Saint Paul’s Hospital in 2019. Method. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March of 2019 among women in the labor ward. A face-to-face exit interview was conducted with 209 randomly selected women. A structured pretested questionnaire was used to assess the level of family planning counseling provided. Bivariate logistic regression was used to test for statistical association. Results. Only 28.2% of the counseling sessions were adequate. Most (58.9%) of the counseling sessions did not maintain the privacy of the client. In 67.9% of the sessions, the counselor did not ask the concern of the client regarding the use of modern family planning methods and 74.2% of the clients were not told about the possible side effects of a method. Clients with no formal education (OR=2.52, 95%CI=1.1‐3.3) and those with only primary level education (OR=1.22, 95%CI=1.04‐3.02) were more likely to have had inadequate counseling. Conclusion. The level of family planning counseling was inadequate. The study indicated the need to provide training for service providers on family planning counseling with the existing standard frameworks but also in consideration of the sociodemographic background of the client, particularly their educational status.

Assessing quality of family planning counseling and its determinants in Kenya: Analysis of health facility exit interviews

“…The findings of this study further suggest that women with lower levels of education were more likely to receive lower-quality counseling compared to those with the highest level of education. These findings are similar to other study findings that have reported that women with higher levels of education are more likely to receive better counseling [27,30]. These results could be an indication of a bias in the manner in which counseling is offered depending on one's level of education.…”

Midwives and women's perspectives on family planning in Jordan: human rights, gender equity, decision-making and power dynamics

“…When asked about FP counseling sessions, women reported that only 28.2% were appropriate, 58.9% did not provide privacy to women, 69% did not ask about women's worries in using MFPM, 74.2% did not provide counseling about possible side effects ( Abdulreshid and Dadi, 2020 ). Yet, women with low educational level tend to report inappropriate FP counseling compared to those with higher level of education ( Abdulreshid and Dadi, 2020 ).…”

“…When asked about FP counseling sessions, women reported that only 28.2% were appropriate, 58.9% did not provide privacy to women, 69% did not ask about women's worries in using MFPM, 74.2% did not provide counseling about possible side effects ( Abdulreshid and Dadi, 2020 ). Yet, women with low educational level tend to report inappropriate FP counseling compared to those with higher level of education ( Abdulreshid and Dadi, 2020 ). A literature review in Nepal found that the use of MFPM among adolescents was low and that inadequate friendly services, as well as lack of competency of healthcare providers to deal with adolescents were perceived to be reasons for low use of MFPM among adolescent women ( Subedi et al., 2018 ).…”

Quality of family planning counseling and associated factors among women attending family planning clinics at selected health centers in Akaki Kality sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

“…The percentage of women who received high family planning counseling services declined since 2015 from 39% to 12% in 2019 nationally ( 13 ). Other studies in the county reported varying prevalence of adequate counseling; two separate studies conducted in Addis Ababa reported the prevalence as 28.2% ( 15 ) and 34.8% ( 16 ). A nationwide study also indicated that only 30% of women had received sufficient information during counseling ( 17 ).…”