Family planning 

is the method that gives couples and individuals the ability

to plan childbirth, and space and time pregnancies. The primary purpose of
family planning is to eliminate unwanted pregnancies and arrive at the
optimum number of children for any family through contraception and
treatment of involuntary infertility. The importance of family planning in
society is also evident from the fact that it reduces the infertility rates, thereby
contributing to the overall social and preventive health of individuals and the
wider community. These are some benefits of family planning:
Individual: Pregnancy and childbirth pose a risk to the life of the woman. Repeated pregnancies
and childbirth limit women’s education, employment, and productivity, resulting in low status in
the community, with a resulting poor living standard. FP enables women to pursue an education,
to attain a better employment opportunities.

Family: Increased family size leads to income- and resource-sharing. Having too many
pregnancies close together can entail early weaning, with consequent high levels of infant
morbidity and mortality, as well as the high cost of alternative infant feeding options. In addition,
children in such families tend to be underfed, ill-housed, and undereducated, culminating in
future unemployment and being a burden to the family and the community at large. The death of
a mother results in the disruption of the family.

Community and national: Increase in population size leads to an increased ratio of people to
land, as well as reduced production and income, with consequent increased migration to urban
areas. Furthermore, increased population size results in poor social services, poor education,
compromised women’s empowerment, an increase in the nonproductive segment of the
population, deforestation, and overconsumption of resources (which aggravates poverty).