CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of Study
Modern family planning helps women to avoid unwanted pregnancies, illegal abortions and child bearing that will threaten their own personal health and that of the children (Ogunbayo, 2007). Family planning involves two concepts – contraceptive use and family planning services which is used by couples to bring about healthy sexual relationships among them without fears of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (Duzo & Mohammed, 2011).
 Family planning is the planning of when to have and use birth techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexual education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted diseases, pre-conception counseling, management and infertility management (Derose, Mohammed, Helman
Moronkola & Blumenthal (2010). However, family planning is usually used as a synonym for the use of birth control. It is most adopted by couples who wish to limit the number of children they want to have and control the timing of pregnancy, also known as spacing of children (Derose et al., 2005). Family planning may encompass sterilization, as well as pregnancy termination. It also includes raising a child with methods that require significant amount of resources namely: time, social, financial and environmental. Family planning measures are designed to regulate the number and spacing of children within a family, largely to curb population growth and ensure each family has access to limited resources (Olaitan, 2012).
The first attempt to offer family planning services began with private groups and often aroused strong opposition. Activists, such as Margaret Sanger in the U.S., Marie Stopes in England and Dhanvanthis Rama Rou in India, eventually succeeded in establishing clinics for family planning and health care. Many countries have established national policies and encouraged the use of public family services (World Health Organization, 2010.).
 The concept of informed choice in family planning can be applied to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health decisions. It focuses on whether to seek, to avoid pregnancy, whether to space and time one’s childbearing, whether to use contraception, what family methods to be used, and whether or when to continue or switch methods. The term family planning choice could also refer to the family decision making; the principles of informed choice focus on the individual; however, it also influences a range of outside factors such as: social, economic and cultural norms, gender roles, social networks, religious and local beliefs. Limited Awareness and Knowledge as a barrier in a variety of cultures with low resource settings, lack of awareness and knowledge has been cited as a significant barrier in the uptake of family planning among couple. Health Belief Model (HBM) is one theoretical framework that has been widely used to understand why an individual chooses to participate in a health-promoting behavior, such as family planning services. There is a need for solid awareness with regards to individual, social and wider contextual determinants of relevant health outcomes. Justification for proposed family planning interventions should be grounded in knowledge about the benefit and gains of practicing it.