Hailu, Asifach2012-05-092012-05-092012-05-09http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4522The HQ 766.5.E8 H3This study was a survey of an assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices of family planning methods and services among clients in Awassa town, Sidamo Province, Ethiopia. The study examined various demographic, social, cultural and economic variables. These include age, sex, current material status, number of living children and desired number of children, educational attainment, occupational status and religious orientation of the respondent. A sample of 135 family planning clients of both men and women of reproductive age was randomly selected for the study. However, only a few numbers of men were used in the study since women dominated most of the family planning clinics. The family planning clinics studied are Awassa Health Center, Awassa MCH Clinic, Sidamo Agriculture Enterprise Clinic, and Awassa Police Clinic. The sampling technique used for this study was systematic random sampling. Data were collected by means of an interview schedule. Descriptive statistics were used in the data analysis thus tables of frequency distributions, percentages and histograms were used for data presentation. According to the findings, respondents knowledge of family planning methods was high while their knowledge of other places where family planning services could be obtained were very low. The study also indicated that the majority of the respondents were against the idea of discussing family planning matters with their children. Although the respondents who were involved in the study had used contraceptive methods for more than six months, most of them used contraceptives for child spacing rather than limiting the number of births. The study concludes that socio-economic factors have an effect on fertility patterns in that the lower the educational status of the respondents the higher the number of living children they have. It also concludes that the age at marriage, number of living children, education and quality of family planning services are important factors for policy use. The results of the study could be used as a basis of planning for interventions, which can increase family planning knowledge, develop favourable attitudes and promote use of efficient methods of contraceptives.enBirth control clinics -- Ethiopia-- Utilization//Birth Control -- Ethiopia.Thesis