Barriers to Effective Family Planning (Phase 0)

The Barriers to Effective Family Planning report (Phase 0) explores factors which impede effective family planning among young married couples in India and other low/middle income countries. An evidence based review conducted as part of the YUVAA program by Pathfinder International (with learning partner, Busara Center for Behavioral Economics), identified major barriers to family planning. This identified 65 unique barriers, reflecting diverse concerns at the individual, social and structural levels.

To provide a useful structure to the diverse barriers these are classified under twelve distinct themes encompassing young couples and healthcare service providers in charge of delivering family planning related information and products. Majority of barriers were reported under the themes of knowledge of family planning, support from others (husbands, society, etc.), social norms, and assigning priority to family planning – reflecting the importance of behaviorally informed interventions to effectively target individuals as well as the social network around them to bring about change.