Knowledge and Practice of Family Planning among Female Basic School Teachers in the City of Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Family planning has been practiced in Ghana since time immemorial but modern practices were adopted in 1969 when the Ghana government launched the program. Since then efforts had been made to publicize and establish family planning clinics across the country aimed at assisting couples to space births, prevent unwanted pregnancies, promote and highlight the acceptability and adoption of contraceptives as well as help infertile families. However, studies on them in relation to the working class have been limited. This study tended to find out the gap between knowledge and practice among female basic school teachers in a selected community in an urban setting in Accra. The study found out that knowledge and awareness about family planning is associated with the practice of family planning (r = 0.747: p < 0.05). It further showed that 77.6% were aware of family planning of which 71.3% are practicing one method or the other. Knowledge also correlates with the likeness of family planning among the female teachers (r=0.712; p < 0.05).

It concluded that the level of knowledge and practice of family planning was high among the teachers and that the gap between knowledge and practice was insignificant. However, some respondents still mistake family planning for contraception.

It recommended that education on family planning must not be limited to only women and female teachers but to their spouses as well.