Literature Review on

Perception and use of family planning methods among slum dwellers

Md. Alamgir Hossen Email: auny.du@gmail.com Assignment # 03

Perception and use of family planning methods among slum dwellers

Increasing Population is a great apprehension for developing countries including Bangladesh. At present Bangladesh is country of more than 142 million of population with 1.34% average annual growth rate (BBS, 2011 a). Though during past four decades Bangladesh achieved a remarkable position in economic and social development, income inequality is reflecting highly on health status. The high poverty rate along with urbanization is considered as a major challenge in Bangladesh (UNFPA, 2011). 3.4 million of population who comprise more than 60% of urban population with high growth rate is rendering negative impact on socio-economic condition especially in health sector (Islam, Mahbub, Nazem, Angeles, & Lance, 2006). Poverty, education and religious beliefs are playing as a great determinant in slum areas as most of them of this vulnerable group are victims of river erosion and poverty (UN-HABITAT, 2010). High density is considered as enormous challenge for health in slum areas. Day by day internal migration from rural to urban is an alarming situation for Bangladesh which is directly affecting the density of slum areas in Bangladesh. In these density areas, use of family planning methods is still unsatisfactory due fear or experiences of side effects, poor quality of services, gender and religious-based barriers (WHO, 2011). Misconceptions regarding family planning methods and prevailing gender norms is directly influencing on the use of family planning methods. Most of the family planning programs emphasize on family planning methods for women as they have easy access to females. It can be exposure of side effects experienced more by the females. In the Goal 7 of MDG, a target has been set for Bangladesh to achieve Halve, by 2020, a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers. 7.8% of them have been achieved by 2009 (Planning Commission, 2010). 54.8% of urban dwellers

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use any type of modern family planning methods including Condom, Oral Pill, Injection, Male sterilization, Female Sterilization, IUD and Traditional method as well (BBS, 2011b). But very few studies were conducted earlier regarding family planning perception and use among slum dwellers that are the most vulnerable part of urban population. The fertility rate in urban slum area is 2.46% whereas 1.85% in non-slum urban areas. The birth rate is 2.38% in urban slum area whereas1.79% in non-slum urban areas (Kulkarni, 2011). In extent, some selective methods are dominating over the practices of the slum people while other methods are getting low privilege for selective promotion by various non-government organizations (Talukder, Rob, & Rahman, 2009). The informal sector in urban areas is not urbanized as per expectation. The slum dwellers who are mostly migrants from various rural parts of the countries uphold the attitude and values of their rural tradition. Lack of education, employment and health services are common problem in slum areas. Though some government and non-government organizations are working in the slums to popularize the family planning, they have some limitations due to proper planning support. The behavior and attitudes toward family planning methods by the slum dwellers are known very inadequately (Rahman, 1996). At this situation, exploring the perceptions of slum area is very essential for policy makers and service providers. It also need to find out the socio-economic behavior of slum people, their prevalence, decision making regarding various family planning methods should be explored for making further recommendation by going through the hypotheses. For achieving success from any family planning intervention in slum area it is necessary to discover the determinants of family planning practices among slum dwellers.

References:

BBS. a. (2011, July). Preliminary Result of Population and Housing Census 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics: http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/BBS/PHC2011Pr eliminary%20Result.pdf BBS. b. (2011). Sample Vital Registration System Survey 2010. Retrieved March 11, 2012, from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics: http://www.bbs.gov.bd/WebTestApplication/userfiles/Image/keyfinding/Key %20Indicator%20SVRS-2010.pdf Islam, N., Mahbub, A., Nazem, N. I., Angeles, G., & Lance, P. (2006, May). Slums of Urban Bangladesh: Mapping and Census 2005. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina: http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/publications/pdf/tr-06-35.pdf Kulkarni, N. K. (2011, August 18). Population Control and Urban Family Planning in Bangladesh. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from Searchlight South Asia: http://urbanpoverty.intellecap.com/?p=229
Planning Commission (2010). The millennium development goals: Bangladesh Progress Report 2009: Planning Commission, Government of Bangladesh.

Rahman, M. U. (1996). Family Planning Choice Behavior of Women in Slums in Bangladesh: A Discriminant Analysis. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from Longwoods: www.longwoods.com/product/download/code/17577 Talukder, M. N., Rob, U., & Rahman, M. M. (2009, March). Improving the Quality of Family Planning and Reproductive Tract Infection Services for Urban Slum Populations. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from Population Council Bangladesh: http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/RH_BangladeshFPRTIUrbanSlum.pdf UN-HABITAT. (2010, June 23). Executive Director roots for Dhaka slum dwellers. Retrieved March 09, 2012, from UN-HABITAT: HYPERLINK http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=8503&catid=5&typeid=6 UNFPA. (2011). About Bangladesh. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from United Nations Population Fund, Bangladesh: http://www.unfpabangladesh.org/php/about_bangladesh.php WHO. (2011, April). Family planning. Retrieved February 25, 2012, from World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs351/en/index.html

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