Concepts of family planning
Hubbard, C.W.
Current Practice in Obstetric and Gynecologic Nursing 2: 3-23
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0361-9249 PMID: 255395 Document Number: 444286
Family planning, often equated with birth control consists in the broadest sense of numerous issues and factors. Planning, according to the author entails realistic assessment of ones ability to plan plus recognizing the limitations inherant in planning. The following determinents of parenthood are additional factors one must consider when discussing concepts of family planning: 1) the system of relationships among groups of individuals with differing roles and expectations; 2) values toward family size and parenthood; 3) the concept of parenthood as a career. Successful family planning is often a result of perceiving the goal of planning as either termination of further childbearing or spacing of births; and 4) psychosocial and economic aspects of contraception. The author finally suggests that there are acceptable alternatives to biological parenthood.