Contraceptive awareness in post-natal patients in KIMS, Bangalore

Background: Family planning can avert more than 30% of maternal deaths and 10% of child mortality if couples spaced their pregnancies more than two years apart. India was the first country in the world to launch the family planning programme in 1951. There exists a KAP gap i.e.  a gap between knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding contraception. Healthcare workers have an important role to play to acknowledge the importance and right concept of contraception among married couples. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, awareness, and perception of contraception among postnatal women.Methods: A questionnaire-based study was conducted among postnatal inpatients and outpatients from September 2021 to November 2021. All postnatal patients in this hospital, willing to participate in the study, after a thorough written informed consent, patients were given pre decided questions for answering. Answers were noted, counselling was done.Results:  Out of 200 women, 97% of the women were aware of at least 1 contraceptive method, the highest being of female sterilization (91%). The 22% of women have used contraception before. The 78% of women had never used contraception before, main reason was that they wanted to conceive (46%) followed by fear of side effects (29%). Regarding willingness to use the contraception after counselling, female sterilization (32%) was the preferred method followed by copper-T (22%). The most common source of information was by relatives was 33%.Conclusions: There is a large gap between the awareness and practice of contraception. Proper education of both partners, increasing female literacy, socio economic upliftment, effective health care system is needed. After delivery, during immediate postpartum period, maximum women wish for contraception Hence these women can be served by family planning services before discharge from hospital to ensure the acceptance of contraceptive practices among them. This would curb unwanted pregnancies and its future consequences.