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The Impact of Lady Health Workers on the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate in District Mardan

Maria Khan, Shahana Nisar and Uzma Nisar

Pakistan being the 7th populous country and a growth rate of 2.6%, if left unchecked can reach 335 million by 2050. The total demand of family planning in Pakistan is 55% while the contraceptive prevalence rate is 35% with an unmet need for family planning is 20%. The contraceptive prevalence rate and frequently used contraceptive method in an area with Lady Health Worker services versus an area without Lady Health Worker services of union council Pat Baba were compared over a period of 6 months. 322 households were selected, 161 from Lady Health Worker covered and 161 from Lady Health Worker uncovered area of union council Pat Baba District Mardan. The knowledge of contraceptive methods was 98.1% in the women of covered area and this knowledge was 90.1% in the uncovered area in union council Pat Baba. The source of information for the women in the covered area was mostly Lady Health Workers 87% and in uncovered area 25.5% of the women were informed by the Lady Health Workers, followed by elderly family members 7.5% in the covered, and 37.9% of the women in uncovered area. The contraceptive prevalence rate was 59% in covered areas and in uncovered areas it was 51.6%. The most frequently used contraceptive method in covered area was condom 16.8% and in the uncovered area it was withdrawal method 26.1%. There was a significant association between the Lady Health Workers presence on knowledge scores and contraceptive prevalence rate.