An assessment of knowledge and use of family planning methods among married women of reproductive age in the urban field practice area of a medical college

Background: The global population is projected to grow by 2.5 billion over the next 43 years, increasing from 6.7 billion to 9.2 billion by 2050. Unchecked population growth is recognized as a major barrier to national development. Aim and Objective: This study is intended to assess the knowledge and practice of family planning methods by women of reproductive age groups in an urban field practice area. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2016 to April 2017 at a medical college's urban field practice area. All married women of reproductive age (18-45 years) who attended the outpatient department were included. Results: The most widely used contraceptive method among the women studied was female sterilization, chosen by 92 women (79.31%). This was followed by oral contraceptive pills and Cu-T, each used by 61 women (52.58%), and condoms, used by 33 women (28.44%). However, only 67 out of 200 women (33.5%) were actively using contraception, with female sterilization being the most common method among them (35 women, 52.24%). Knowledge about emergency contraception was quite limited, with only 19 women (9.5%) being informed about it. The study found that awareness of contraception was significantly influenced by factors such as age, religion, lower educational background, lower monthly income, early age at marriage, early age at first childbirth, and more number of living children. Conclusion: The study shows that knowledge about contraception among the participants was inadequate. There is a critical need for enhanced advocacy and education regarding female reproductive health as well as family planning methods to improve awareness and utilization among reproductive-age women. Keywords: Contraception, family planning, knowledge, practice