Increasing access to modern contraceptive methods is a priority in many countries. However, how best to reach women and provide family planning is not always clear. A new report from MEASURE Evaluation suggests that maternal health services, particularly antenatal care visits may provide an opportunity to for mothers to receive family planning services:
This study examines the associations between the use of maternal health care (including ANC and PNC services) and postpartum modern FP practice in Kenya and Zambia. The study results indicate a positive association between the intensity of ANC and PNC services and postpartum use of modern contraception in both countries. The more intensively women use ANC and PNC services, the more likely they go on to adopt a modern method of contraception after the index childbirth…In addition, we found that when maternal health care was disaggregated into ANC and PNC services, only the use of ANC services was found to be significantly related to postpartum modern contraceptive use.