A pilot study on family spacing attitudes and practices in rural Gezira

The attitudes towards, and practice of, modern contraception among the rural population of the Gezira area of the Sudan were analyzed using a structured questionnaire. This was part of a comprehensive community survey carried out by the Faculty of Medicine, University of Gezira, Sudan, as part of a rural development program. Eight villages belonging to the Sennar Sugar Scheme were included in the survey. The result showed a low percentage of contraceptive users in all villages. The main reasons given by mothers for not using contraceptives were that contraceptives were against religion, mothers had not heard about them, mothers wanted more children, and contraceptives were not available. These villages were also characterized by high illiteracy rate and large family size. There is a need for health education concerning child spacing. This should be combined with religious education by religious leaders to remove misunderstandings concerning modern contraceptive use. Adult education programs, especially for females, will also have an impact.