title: Do public health services in Egypt help young married women exercise their reproductive rights?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess supply and demand of family planning services from a reproductive rights perspective among young married women (YMW) in Egypt.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data sources related to family planning included structured interviews with service providers (n=216); an inventory of equipment and supplies (n=40); exit interviews with YMW (n=147); and focus group discussions (n=12) with YMW, husbands, and mothers and/or mothers in law. YMW, husbands and mothers in law were not necessarily related.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although family planning services were readily available and affordable, YMW had limited access to information and services. Shortfalls were noted regarding respect for privacy, choice of family planning method, access to fertility services, and premarital counseling. Few YMW had sufficient autonomy to make informed reproductive decisions. Effective accountability mechanisms and processes for redress were also lacking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation of a rights-based approach and structural changes to family planning service delivery are recommended to empower YMW in Egypt to demand and exercise their reproductive rights.
authors.affiliation: Population Council, Egypt Country Office, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address: ntawab@popcouncil.org.
authors.forename: Nahla
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abdel-Tawab
authors.affiliation: World Bank, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rabie
authors.affiliation: World Bank, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Boehmova
authors.affiliation: World Bank, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Loraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.affiliation: US Agency for International Development (formerly Population Council, Egypt), Egypt.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saher
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health and Population, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Atef
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Shitany
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D003376:Counseling; D004534:Egypt; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008393:Marriage; D009035:Mothers; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D018907:Privacy; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D046269:Reproductive Rights / Q000523:psychology*; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Egypt; Family planning; Public health services; Reproductive rights; Young married women