What is family and
family planning?
GROUP 1
EMMANUEL OPOKU-ACHAMPONG (224023845)
AMA BAAKU AMPONSAH (224013882)
LOVEJOYCE AIDOO (224022059)
GEORGINA BLESSING SOGBEY (223019941)
FAMILY
Family typically refers to a group of people who are related by blood, marriage,
or adoption, and who often live together and share common values, traditions,
and responsibilities.
However, family can also be defined more broadly to include close friends and
others who provide love, support, and a sense of belonging.
Types of family
Families can take various forms, including:
1. Nuclear family: Consists of parents and their biological or adopted children living together in one household.
2. Extended family: Includes additional relatives beyond the nuclear family, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and
cousins, living together or in close proximity.
3. Single-parent family: Comprises one parent raising one or more children independently, either due to divorce,
separation, death of a spouse, or choice.
4. Blended or stepfamily: Results from the remarriage or re-partnering of individuals who bring children from previous
relationships together to form a new family unit.
5. Same-sex family: Involves a couple of the same gender raising children together, either through
adoption, surrogacy, or other means.
6. Foster family: Consists of adults who provide temporary care and support for children who are
unable to live with their biological parents due to various reasons, such as abuse, neglect, or parental
incarcer
7. Childless family: couples or individual who choose not have children either by personal preference
or due to fertility issues
8. Multigenerational family: involves multiples of generations living together under one roof such as
grandparents, parents and grandchildren.
Functions of a family
(a) Biological Functions:
These functions are performed by the family since its very formation. These include:
(i) Satisfaction of sexual desires:
Sexual desires are basic human instincts. It is an important function performed by the family.
But
every society has social control over an individual’s sex desires in its own traditions.
(ii) Reproduction
It is yet another important biological function which is essential for the survival of the human
beings. Though this function is possible outside the family also but then it does not have social
approval. The reproductive function depends upon the relation between husband and wife
through the marriage bonds and bears social approval. It also provides stable nature to family.
(iii) Nurture of children:
Since time immemorial family has provided a security to children and environment for their
growth. This function of family has been tried out to be performed by other social institutions
at
many places, but the results are not fully satisfactory.
(b) Psychological Functions:
This is also a very important universal function of family. The feelings of love, affection,
respect, cooperation, faith, etc., play a very crucial role in the development and mental status
of each member of family. These feelings make family bonds stronger.
(i) Psychological security:
This is the first psychological function that a family performs. This aspect is very significant
especially for younger and immature members of the family. They feel secured and get solace
in home from the outside world.
The psychological security provided by family gives them confidence to face adversities of the
world. It develops their total personality- mental as well as physical.
(ii) Affection:
Another important aspect of psychological functions of family is affection. The sentiment of
love and affection makes a family member to feel that he is wanted in the world and is
important.
Traditional Functions
These are the functions of family which are linked to particular community or cultural. They
vary according to different cultures.
(a) Physical Functions:
These functions refer to care of each and care of the weaker members of the family.
(i) Physical care:
It is the duty of the family to take physical care of the weaker members of the family like
children, ladies, old people and the disabled.
(ii) Provision of shelter:
The family provides a home or shelter for its members so that they feel secure in it and are able
carry out their day-to-day work.
iii) Provision of food and clothing:
Family provides nutritious and balanced food for its members. On this depends the health and growth of its
members
(b) Economic Functions:
In addition to biological, psychological and physical functions, the family also fulfills the
economic requirements of the family. These are:
(i) Labour division:
A family comprises of members of all ages, genders and capabilities according to which they
work. Male members are considered to be the earning members who work outside whereas the
females have to look after the household duties.
But this concept has considerably changed as more and more females are working to earn for
bettering the family’s economic strength. The children always contribute to the household work
according to their capacities.
(ii) Determination of inheritance:
The family has its own money and property. The head of the family runs and controls the
family.
The inheritance is handed over to the next senior members according to the system prevalent
in the particular family. In the modern families, inheritance is the right of both daughters and
sons.
(iii) Productive unit:
Family is the center of productive activities as well as being a consumer unit. The traditional
work of the family continues from one generation to the next. Today however, this trend is not
followed much.
(iv) Management of income:
The family has to manage the total requirements of food, clothing, shelter, health and
education of all members of the family within the family income. In the modern times, all the
members of the family try to contribute towards the total family income.
(c) Social Functions:
(i) Determining social status:
Each family holds a definite place in the society. The social status of the family determines the
living standard, socializing standard and marriage standard of the family. The status of the family
generally runs from generation to generations. The family members, functioning as a unit
constantly strive to work accordingly in the society to maintain and improve the status.
(ii) Socialization:
A newborn child is not a social being. But by living in the society (interacting through family),
learns and understands the rules of the society according to which one has to speak, eat, behave
and move around. All this shapes the personality of the individual.
(iii) Social control: Each person has to behave in society according to some social rules and
regulations which are
taught to him by the family
(iv) Helpful in selection of life partner:
Done by children themselves. This trend is being adopted gradually in our country also.
(v) Religious Functions:
Every family follows the rituals of a particular religion. The family teaches the child about God
(vi). Political functions:
Where the head of the family has the power to take decisions on behalf of other members
regarding social, religious and political matters.
(vii). Cultural functions:
The family teaches its younger members regarding the life style, traditions, moral values and social
values which the family follows. Family, thus, inculcates and transfers the culture from one
generation to next.
(viii). Educational function:
Family is said to be the first school which a child attends . The family inculcates preschool education
in the child and provides a proper environment for the child’s education. Both of these play very
important role.
DISCUSS ONES NUCLEAR
FAMILY
DRAW YOUR FAMILY TREE
FAMILY PLANNING
Family planning refers to the practice of controlling the number
and spacing of children a couple has through the use of
contraception or other methods.
It involves making informed decisions about when to have
children, how many to have, and how to prevent or delay
pregnancy until the desired time.
Family planning services often include access to contraception,
counselling, and reproductive health education.
Importance of family planning
The importance of family planning is clear from its benefits to individuals, as well
as to families, communities, and societies (AGI, 2003).
Family planning serves three critical needs:
(1) it helps couples avoid unintended pregnancies;
(2) it reduces the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs); and
(3) by addressing the problem of STDs, it helps reduce rates of infertility.
Others….
4. Health and well-being: It allows individuals and couples to plan and space pregnancies, which can
improve maternal and child health outcomes. Access to family planning services reduces the risk of
unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal and infant mortality.
5. Empowerment: Family planning empowers individuals, especially women, by giving them control
over their reproductive choices. This can lead to increased educational and economic opportunities,
as women can pursue careers, further education, and participate more fully in society when they
have the ability to plan their pregnancies.
6. Population control: Family planning helps manage population growth by slowing the rate of
population increase. This can alleviate pressure on resources, infrastructure, and the environment,
promoting sustainable development.
7. Poverty reduction: By allowing families to plan the number and spacing of their children, family.
Criteria for ideal contraception
methods
Reliable
Convenient and easy to administer
Cost offective
Safe with little or no side effects
Culturally acceptable
FACTORS TO CONSIDER
(FAMILY PLANNING METHODS)
[Link]
[Link] of method by service provider(Invasive or Non
invasive)
[Link] to family planning methods
4 Interference with coitus
[Link] of Sexually transmitted Infections
[Link]
7 Restoration of fertility or Reversibility of methods
Family planning methods
Ideally FB grouped broadly into:
Natural methods
Artificial methods
Natural methods
No device or drugs used
Clients uses the fertile and infertile times of menstrual cycles and
either help achieve or postponed pregnancy
Examples are:
coitus interruptus, Calendar method,BBT , Billing ,symptoms-thermal
method, lactational amenorrhea method , cycle beads,
Artificial method
1. Hormonal methods:
They work by altering hormone levels to prevent ovulation or thicken cervical
mucus to prevent sperm from reaching the egg.
Could be oral,injection,patches,subdermal implants, vaginal
Examples- COC pills, LNG-iucd , depo provera,jadelle
NB- contraceptive microchips (placed under the skin of
arms,buttocks,abdomen)-levonorgestrel
2. Non-hormonal methods
Barrier methods- These methods work by physically blocking sperm from
reaching the egg. Eg condoms,diaphragm,cervical caps,spermicides
etc
Surgical- male and female sterilization eg tubal
ligation,vasectomy
Emergency contraception:
Also known as morning after pill
Use to stop pregnancy after having unprotected sex within 72 hrs
Eg,postinol 2
iud- within 5 days
ulipristil
Health benefits of contraception
Hormonal contraception
Prevention:
1. Menstrual cycle related:
Bone loss
Decreased dysmenorrhea
Benign breast disease
Decreased menstrual flow
Correct anaemia
May reduce PMS
Treatment
Endometriosis
2. Decreased risk of:
Acne
Endometrial cancer
Hirsutism
Ovarian cancer
Menstrual migraines
Colorectal cancer
references
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what-does-family-mean-to-you
Gaps from group 2