Investigation of the Effect of Antenatal Family Planning Counseling in Primary Care on Postpartum Family Planning Method Use

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effect of family planning (FP) counseling provided to pregnant women who attended a family health center on their use of FP after pregnancy.

Methods: The antenatal and postpartum records of 219 of 225 women registered at a family health centre in Kastamonu between 2017 and 2022, whose follow-up was complete and without missing information, were retrospectively examined. The patients’ sociodemographic data, obstetric information, the FP method they planned to use after birth (recorded at the third and fourth antenatal follow-ups), and information on postpartum FP method use were recorded.

Results: The mean age of the participants in this study was 29.6 years, and 41.5% were university graduates. The study reported an unplanned pregnancy rate of 16.4%. When asked about the FP method they would use in the postpartum period during the third antenatal visit (28–32 weeks), 52.5% of participants were undecided, 42.0% preferred a modern method, and participants were then provided FP method counselling. At the fourth antenatal follow-up (36–38 weeks), the rate of undecided individuals decreased significantly to 35.6%, while the rate of those preferring a modern method increased significantly to 59.4% (p < 0.001). At the postpartum follow-up (30–42 days after birth), 95% of women had started using FP methods: condoms were the most commonly used modern method (63.9%) and injections were the least used (1.9%).

Conclusion: FP consultancy services provided during the antenatal period facilitate women’s ability to make informed choices in the postpartum period, thereby contributing to the protection of both their own health and that of their newborns.