Is Permanent Contraception Acceptable in sub-Saharan Africa?

• Published in: Studies in family planning Vol. 21; no. 6; pp. 322 - 326
• Main Authors: Dwyer, Joseph C., Haws, Jeanne M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The Population Council 01-11-1990; Population Council
• Subjects: Africa; African culture; Attitude to Health; Confidentiality; Contraception; Contraception Behavior; Cultural Characteristics; Family planning; Family planning services; Female fertility; Fertility rates; Humans; Kenya; Laparotomy; Local anesthesia; Population; Quality of Health Care; Reproductive sterilization; Sterilization, Reproductive - psychology; Tubal ligation; Kenya; Africa; Family Planning Programs; Eastern Africa; Organization And Administration; Contraceptive Usage; Needs; English Speaking Africa; Female Sterilization; Motivation; Quality Of Health Care; Program Accessibility; Sterilization, Sexual; Behavior; Minilaparotomy; Culture; Method Acceptability; Programs; Africa; Psychological Factors; Contraception; Family Planning; Kenya; Tubal Ligation; Economic Factors; Tubal Occlusion; Health Services Evaluation; Male Sterilization; Developing Countries; Africa South Of The Sahara; Program Evaluation
• DOI: 10.2307/1966920
• EISSN: 1728-4465
• ISSN: 0039-3665

Some authors contend that the low use of family planning in sub-Saharan Africa is due to a low demand for fertility regulation among African men and women. The present authors' experience in Africa has been that it is not the demand for family planning services, but the way services are delivered that accounts for low numbers of acceptors in Africa. The specific case of Kenya is mentioned, where improvements in the quality of sterilization services and increases in the number of institutions that can provide minilaparotomy under local anesthesia have led to an increase in the acceptance of sterilization. The authors maintain that the demand for all family planning methods does exist, and it is up to the donor agencies and family planning service providers to try to meet that demand by providing services that are efficient to providers while oriented to the clients' needs. In the case of voluntary surgical contraception, that means providing minilaparotomy under local anesthesia.