Understanding Unmet Need
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SummaryText
Published by The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP), this working paper (#4) is one of several that describe JHU/CCP's views about a given theme or topic and illustrate, via descriptions of various projects in many countries, how the lessons of experience led to such a view. The publication contains an extensive bibliography for further reference.
This Working Paper is meant to help programme planners develop effective family planning and reproductive health strategies. Its 8 chapters and 4 appendices explain the concept of "unmet need", focusing on the perceived cost of contraception.
From the Preface:
Over 100 million women in the developing world today risk unwanted pregnancies. This unmet need poses a serious challenge to public health policy makers and reproductive health program planners. It also provides a powerful rationale for funding and organizing effective family planning programs.
A clearer understanding of the concept of unmet need can help focus family planning program efforts toward specific audience segments and tailor information, education, and communication (IEC) to reach these intended audiences effectively. That understanding may guide the design of family planning projects by helping to identify the reasons for unmet need among specific audiences and by suggesting ways to develop and fine-tune family planning approaches that are user-friendly and community-oriented.
This Working Paper presents original theoretical and empirical analysis of the reasons for the existence of unmet need in 44 countries surveyed by the Demographic and Health Surveys between 1985 and 1994. In addition to a review of the literature, it summarizes much of the background research undertaken for a recent issue of Population Reports, "Meeting Unmet Need: New Strategies". That issue examined the concept of unmet need, its prevalence, and implications for program planning.
This Working Paper is meant to help programme planners develop effective family planning and reproductive health strategies. Its 8 chapters and 4 appendices explain the concept of "unmet need", focusing on the perceived cost of contraception.
From the Preface:
Over 100 million women in the developing world today risk unwanted pregnancies. This unmet need poses a serious challenge to public health policy makers and reproductive health program planners. It also provides a powerful rationale for funding and organizing effective family planning programs.
A clearer understanding of the concept of unmet need can help focus family planning program efforts toward specific audience segments and tailor information, education, and communication (IEC) to reach these intended audiences effectively. That understanding may guide the design of family planning projects by helping to identify the reasons for unmet need among specific audiences and by suggesting ways to develop and fine-tune family planning approaches that are user-friendly and community-oriented.
This Working Paper presents original theoretical and empirical analysis of the reasons for the existence of unmet need in 44 countries surveyed by the Demographic and Health Surveys between 1985 and 1994. In addition to a review of the literature, it summarizes much of the background research undertaken for a recent issue of Population Reports, "Meeting Unmet Need: New Strategies". That issue examined the concept of unmet need, its prevalence, and implications for program planning.
Number of Pages
70
Source
JHUCCP website, accessed July 7 2004 and December 4 2014.
Comments
It is a bit dismaying to read about unmet need for contraception in 2004 without a single mention of dual protection and HIV/AIDS. A very great unmet need faced by married women (and the unmarried) is access to effective barrier methods that protect against unwanted pregnancy and STDs including HIV (eg. female condoms). Family planning services cannot any longer be discussed in a social vacuum that ignores the real threats facing young women. Many women, it is now understood, are vulnerable to sexual diseases like AIDS that "modern" methods of contraception do nothing to block.
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