Abstract
A total of 989 318 births were registered in South Africa in 2017, which indicated a 2.1% increase from the 969 415 birth registrations in 2016, most of which were as a result of unplanned pregnancies. South African women with low levels of education have a higher prevalence of unplanned pregnancies. The World Health Organization defines family planning as allowing individuals to foresee and accomplish their desired number of children and decide on the spacing and timing of their births. Postpartum family planning is important as it reduces the risks of unplanned pregnancies and risks associated with closely spaced pregnancies, including preterm delivery, low birth weight and maternal and child mortality. The South African Department of Health provides family planning free of charge as part of a broader sexual and reproductive health package. The researcher, working in a postnatal ward at a maternity and obstetric unit, observed that the correct steps are not implemented in providing women with the correct information regarding family planning methods, just before they are discharged from the hospital...
M.Cur. (Nursing Science)