Summary
This paper rests on the premise that in modern societies population growth is controlled mainly through means of family planning. Community attitudes towards men, women and children, as well as assumptions about the role and worth of the father, the mother and the child in a family, determine to a large extent whether the reproductive aspect of family life will be subjected to conscious deliberation and planning.
On the other hand, the ‘availability’ and ‘accessibility’ of family planning services is a relative concept, depending on the subjective evaluation of potential users of the service. Not only economic and physical-practical factors, but also psycho-social and cultural considerations enter into consumers' perception of how relevant, appropriate, acceptable, and within-reach such services are.