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KEY QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
ABOUT FAMILY PLANNING
• How many children does the average couple have in our community?
• Who usually has more children—rich families or poor ones? Why?
• What are the advantages of having many children? Of having few
children? If you are rich? If you are poor?
• What are the attitudes of most of the people in our community toward
family planning? Why?
• Do the men often have different attitudes than the women? Why?
• How do large families affect the population (number of people)?
• Is the number of people in our village or community growing? Is there
enough land (or work or food) for everybody? Are things getting better
or worse? Why?
• Do some persons or families leave the village to move to the city or
another country? Why? What sort of life do they lead there?
• Do you think that the growing number of people is partly responsible
for the hunger or hardship of the poor? What else do you think is
responsible?
• What does the government do about these other causes? About family
planning? Why? Where does the money for this come from?
• Official announcements tell people they should plan their families in
order to protect the health of mothers and children. What other reasons
do you think the officials might have?
• What doubts or fears do you (or mothers, or people in general) have
about different family planning methods? Why? Where can you get
truthful information?
• In what ways do family planning programs meet people’s needs? In
what ways do they abuse people? What have you yourself experienced?
• Do you think family planning workers should be required to sign up
a certain number of new users each month? Why? How would this
requirement affect the way health workers relate to people?
• Should parents be rewarded (given ‘incentives’) for planning their
families? Why or why not? How does the incentive system affect
people’s attitudes about family planning? About the government? About
themselves?
• In many countries, illegal and unsafe abortion is the most common form
of ‘family planning’. Why? What are the results?
• Is it better to abort or to bring an unwanted child into the world?
• Is it just and fair for men to make the laws about abortion and other
issues concerning women’s health and lives?
• Is family planning important? For whom and in what way?
• Should a health worker encourage parents to plan their families? All
parents? Only some parents? Which? Should a health worker bring up
the subject of family planning when mothers come for medical care or
bring their children? Should she discuss it with them only when they
express interest? Or should this depend on the problems and needs of
the individual family?
• Whose needs does family planning presently meet in your area?
• How could it better meet the needs of the poor?
• What can we do about it? What will happen to us if we speak out or
take action? Is it worth it?