Family planning is to have children when you want and to keep a desirable gap between the pregnancies.

Family planning helps prevent undesired pregnancy and ensures good health of the mother and child and a better economic condition due to a small family, thereby fulfilling the educational and nutritional requirement of the children.

You can meet a doctor to know about contraceptive methods and when you want to go for sterilisation (vasectomy or tubectomy). To use the contraceptive measures, such as pills or condoms, you should meet the health department-appointed midwives and health workers in your area.

The different family planning measures are (1) contraceptive pills, (2) implants, (3) injectable progesterone or combined progesterone plus estrogen, (4) contraceptive patch and vaginal ring, (5) T-shaped intrauterine devices (IUDs) with copper or levonorgestrel, (6) male and female condoms, (7) male or female sterilization, etc.

Male condoms are 98% effective, whereas female condoms are up to 90% effective according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO).