KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF FAMILY PLANNING AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN OBI NGWA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ABIA STATE.

SUMMARY Family planning allows individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their births. It is achieved through the use of contraceptive methods and the treatment of involuntary infertility. A woman’s ability to space and limit her pregnancies has a direct impact on her health and wellbeing as well as in the outcome of each pregnancy. This project was aimed at assessing the basis of family planning, the knowledge as well as attitude and how it is practiced among women of reproductive age in Obi Ngwa Local Government in Abia State. This is a descriptive cross sectional study. Questionnaire was used in the study to collect data. A total of 410 women were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data was obtained using self-administered, semi structured pretested questionnaires and analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results were presented in prose, tables, and illustrations. The study reveals the following: 350(87.5%) of the 410 respondents have heard about family planning, 370 (92.5%) were in support, 260 (65.0%) were practicing family planning at the moment. There is need to promote family planning as women need to know more and be properly guided by the health workers or personnel’s on the importance of family planning. The government through the ministry of health should ensure that more effort is put into educating the general public about family planning, and increase male involvement in family planning programs as it will help in better outcomes in the society at large.