Parents and Family Planning Services

Parents and Family Planning Services focuses on parents of a sample of newborns in twelve areas of England and Wales during the 1970s. The parents were asked about their contraceptive practices, attitudes toward different methods of birth control, and opinions of-and experience with-different types of services. General practitioners, health visitors, and doctors at family planning clinics were interviewed about their views and practices. This juxtaposition of the attitudes of parents and professionals highlights the reasons why people do not use effective methods of birth control, and leads to suggestions as to how they could be helped to do so. Several chapters discuss fathers' attitudes and actions, the views of parents and professionals, and the influence of religion, social class, education, and geographic location. The final chapter is concerned with possible changes in contraceptive habits, and the ways in which services can develop to help more women avoid unwanted pregnancies. The work has ongoing policy implications, and also indicates how attitudes and change evolve over time. Parents and Family Planning Services is predicated on the assumption that unwanted fertility is to be avoided. It underscores the need for a proliferation of different sorts of services: more clinics, an increase in the help and advice given at hospitals, the development of a supportive and integrated home service. This volume is a significant contribution to the literature in this vital field. It remains essential reading for both professionals and concerned policy personnel, particularly those interested in the evolution of policy and practice.

I INTRODUCTIONII PREGNANCIES AND CONTRACEPTIONIII SOME BARRIERS TO THE USE OF MORE EFFECTIVE METHODS OF CONTRACEPTIONIV SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ADVICEV HELP AND ADVICE FROM GENERAL PRACTITIONERSVI VIEWS OF THE GENERAL PRACTITIONERSVII SOME VARIATIONS BETWEEN GENERAL PRACTITIONERSVIII FAMILY PLANNING CLINICS IN THE STUDY AREASIX MOTHERS' VIEWS AND EXPERIENCES OF CLINICSX HEALTH VISITORSXI FATHERS AND HUSBANDSXII VIEWS OF PARENTS AND DIFFERENT PROFESSIONALSXIII THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGIONXV THE FUTUREAPPENDICES1 Selection of study areas, births, mothers and fathers2 The sample of general practitioners3 The sample of health visitors4 Selection of clinics and doctors5 Score on predicted action by general practitioners and health visitors6 Statistical significance and sampling errors7 Classification of social class8 ReferencesINDEX