Acceptance of Family Planning Grows in Afghanistan | Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD)

UNFPA is working closely with the Ministry of Public Health to ensure a reliable supply of contraceptives to government health facilities. UNFPA also trains health workers and provides technical support to health facilities, like the family planning centre in Herat City.

UNFPA is also increasing the family planning choices available to women. At the centre in Herat, women are able to select from a variety of safe, reliable contraceptive methods, including condoms, pills, injections and implants.

Contraceptives are slowly gaining ground in this conservative country. In 2003, only a tenth of married Afghan women used modern methods of family planning, according to a government report. By 2014, 23 per cent of married women were using contraceptives.

Farzana says most of the women she knows use injections or pills. "I know only few couples that use other methods. Even me, I use the injection," she said.

But some suspicion lingers. For example, many people are intimidated by contraceptive implants, even though they are safe and offer long-lasting protection against unplanned pregnancy. "People are afraid of using those, and husbands don't allow them out of the false fear that their wife will not be able to have children again," explained Nargis, a UNFPA-trained midwife.

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