Minimizing missed opportunities: an approach to decrease the unmet need for family planning.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to determine the participants with unmet need and to show that family planning consultancy given to women and men attending the first-level health facilities would increase contraceptive usage and reduce unmet need for family planning.


METHODS
All married women aged 15-49 years and men having wives of the same age group attending the health centers for any service other than family planning were included in the study. Among 2021 attendants, a total of 1701 participated in the study (84.2%). Participants were interviewed after they took the services for which they attended. At the end of the inquiries, all willing participants were referred to the family planning unit in the same building.


RESULTS
The unmet need (need for any or more effective contraceptive methods) was 43.1%. All participants with unmet need were referred to the family planning unit in the same building and willing participants were given family planning services. Of the participants, 23.9% attended the family planning unit and 17.8% took services immediately at the time of the attendance.


CONCLUSIONS
Linking family planning services with other health services can be a cheap and practical way to reduce the unmet need.
Cali
S
S
Department of Public Health, Marmara University School of Medicine, Haydarpasa 34668, Istanbul, Turkey.
Kalaca
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S
Sarikaya
O
O
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003906:Developing Countries; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D014421:Turkey