STRUCTURE OF FAMILY-PLANNING IN SAMOA

Increasing family planning acceptance and efficacy is considered a key public health issue in many Pacific Island nations. To access the str ucture of family planning acceptance in Samoa, structured interviews w ere conducted with 155 reproductive age women from seven villages in b oth rural and urban settings. The survey data show accord with returns on contraceptive use from Samoan clinics, and demonstrate that awaren ess and use of contraception have increased markedly in the previous d ecade but desired family size remains high in younger women. A notable feature of the Samoan women's contraceptive experience is the lack of diversity of reported contraceptive behaviours and attitudes based on age, urban versus rural residence, and education.