ABSTRACT
Family planning involves three dynamic and interactive ele-
ments: fertility regulation methods, the nature of the service
delivery system, and the perceptions and characteristics of
the user (Figure 5.1). Experience shows that a change in a
delivery system can be every bit as important in extending
family planning choices as the invention of a new method. A
new channel of distribution may meet the users’ perceptions
more closely, as when oral contraceptives are made available
to men to give to their wives in a male-dominated society
(Figure 5.2) or simply make it more convenient for users to
obtain a method (Figure 5.3). The closest and quickest place
to obtain contraceptives is often the neighborhood phar-
macy or local store, where approximately 50% of the world’s
couples obtain their temporary family planning supplies
(e.g. oral contraceptives, condoms, etc.). In both rich and
poor countries most people have neither the time nor the
inclination to travel long distances to obtain health care, let
alone family planning services (Figure 5.4).
