POSTPARTUM FAMILY-PLANNING AND HEALTH NEEDS OF WOMEN OF LOW-INCOME INISTANBUL

This study was designed to learn what types of postpartum health and f amily planning services are most appropriate for couples with low inco mes living in Istanbul, Turkey. The methods used included focus groups , site visits, questionnaires for postpartum women, and a self-adminis tered questionnaire for health-care providers. By five months postpart um, 86 percent of the women surveyed were using some method of family planning. Many couples used withdrawal, starting immediately upon resu mption of intercourse after childbirth, intending to use a medical met hod after menses resumed. However, only 34 percent of users had begun to use a medical method by five months after childbirth. The health fa cilities visited provide little information and counseling about the p ostpartum period. Women said that they wanted information on infant ca re, breast-feeding, and family planning, either before becoming pregna nt or while they are pregnant. Most women prefer that postpartum servi ces address the needs of the whole family, not only those of the baby or the mother. Recommendations for the timing, mode, and content of po stpartum health and family planning services are made based on the stu dy's findings.