Postpartum Contraception

Family Health International (FHI) researchers have studied the effectiveness and acceptability of various contraceptive methods among postpartum women and worked to raise provider awareness of the need to integrate postpartum family planning services into existing health care programs.

 

Inability to obtain effective contraception exposes women to the risk of poorly timed or unplanned pregnancies, and closely spaced pregnancies pose greater health risks for mothers and their infants. The provision of quality family planning services in the postpartum period contributes significantly to reducing maternal and child mortality and morbidity, as well as to preventing future abortions. Studies show that a large proportion of women interviewed in the postpartum period wish to regulate their fertility, either by spacing or preventing future pregnancies.