Timing Births

Supporting Information

Key Message 4:

Family planning services provide people with the knowledge and the means to plan when to begin having children, how many to have and how far apart to have them, and when to stop. There are many safe and acceptable ways of avoiding pregnancy.

Health clinics should offer advice to help people choose a family planning method that is acceptable, safe, convenient, effective and affordable.

Of the various contraceptive methods, only condoms protect against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.

Exclusive breastfeeding can delay the return of the mother's fertility for approximately six months after childbirth. Exclusive breastfeeding provides a woman with 98 per cent protection from pregnancy, but only if her baby is under the age of six months, her menstrual periods have not returned, and the baby is breastfed on demand and exclusively – receiving no other foods or drinks.

On timing births, see also:

Why it is important

All key messages

Supporting information for key messages: 1 2 3 4 5

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