This article argues for attention to a neglected dimension of family planning services--their quality. A framework for assessing quality from the client's perspective is offered, consisting of six parts (choice of methods, information given to clients, technical competence, interpersonal relations, follow-up and continuity mechanisms, and the appropriate constellation of services). The literature is reviewed regarding evidence that improvements in these various dimensions of care result in gains at the individual level; an even scarcer body of literature is reviewed for evidence of gains at the level of program efficiency and impact. A concluding section discusses how to make practical use of the framework and distinguishes three vantage points from which to view quality: the structure of the program, the service-giving process itself, and the outcome of care, particularly with respect to individual knowledge, behavior, and satisfaction with services.
Since the 1960s, survey data have indicated that substantial proportions of women who have wanted to stop or delay childbearing have not practiced contraception. This discrepancy is referred to as the "unmet need" for contraception. The traditional interpretation, that these women lack access to contraceptive supplies and services, has led in turn to an emphasis on expanding family planning programs. This study analyzes survey data and related anthropological studies on the causes of unmet need and concludes that the conventional explanation is inadequate. Although for many environments geographic access to services remains a problem, the principal reasons for nonuse are lack of knowledge, fear of side effects, and social and familial disapproval. This finding underscores the need for expanded investment in services that not only provide contraceptives, but also attend to closely related health and social needs of prospective clients. Programs are likely to be most successful when they reach beyond the conventional boundaries of service provision to influence and alter the cultural and familial factors that limit voluntary contraceptive use.
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