[Couples' competences in immediate postpartum family planning in the Biyem-Assi health district Cameroon]

Postpartum family planning is still little known and little practised by most couples in Cameroon. However, just after childbirth, many couples wish to postpone their second birth. This study aims to determine the level of competence and the education need of couples in immediate postpartum family planning in the Biyem-Assi health district, Cameroon.

We performed a KAP survey (knowledge, attitudes and practices) in the Biyem-Assi health district. Data were collected using two questionnaires with 40 questions, written in french, one addressed to women in couples and during the post-partum period and the other addressed to men in couples and having at least one child. Collected data were entered in the software CSPro version 6.2 and then analyzed using the software SPSS version 20.0.

A total of 300 subjects with a sex ratio of 1 were surveyed. More than half (56.7%) had an approximate knowledge of family planning in the immediate postpartum period. Thirty six percent of the respondents believed that the immediate postpartum period was not an appropriate time to use a modern method of contraception. The interaction between contraceptives and breast milk (65.4%) and female infertility (26.3%) were the main reasons reported. Immediate postpartum contraception of 60.5% of couples living in the Biyem-Assi health district was inadequate. Therefore, the level of competence in the immediate postpartum family planning was insufficient (32.6%) and low (23.3%) in most of the respondents.

Some prejudices and misconceptions about modern contraceptive methods persist in the Biyem-Assi health district population and these are an obstacle to contraceptive practice in general and during the immediate postpartum period in particular. Awareness and education efforts of couples to improve their competence in contraception during the immediate postpartum period are necessary.