Introduction The global burden of ill-health from reproductive and sexual diseases accounts about 20% for women and 14% for men. 1 The situation in Pakistan is no more different even offer adding the general load of infectious diseases it. Reproductive ill-health causes problems of general malnutrition and pregnancy complications leading to maternal mortality. Family planning is a way towards better reproductive health. To achiee Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) target 5-A and 5-B 2 efforts have to be made for providing effective family planning services to the community. Family planning can also help to achieve all MDGs. 3 Pakistan is one of the countries with a huge population. The fertility rate is about 3.28 children per women 4 and the maternal mortality rate is 280 per 100,000 5 which indicates that higher number of pregnant women are at risk. An effective family planning programme can reduce the burden of unwanted pregnancies and thus improve both the fertility and mortality rates. Family planning is the fourth pillar of the safe motherhood initiative. 6 Maternal and infant mortality rates can be decreased by reducing unwanted pregnancies which is an outcome of family planning. A successful family planning programme prevents unwanted pregnancies and thus saves and improves lives of women. 7 It becomes very important to successfully launch a family planning programme. Family planning is a cost-effective intervention in under-developed countries. It improves weight, body mass index, vaccination status and overall well-being of the target population. 8 The unmet need of family planning is 14 per cent (2007) in Pakistan. 9 Patient satisfaction from family planning services is low. 10 Keeping these factors in mind, the study was designed to look into the causes of different choices being made about family planning methods. Family 1023 J Pak Med Assoc Choice of contraceptive method among females attending family planning center in Hayat Abad Medical Complex, Peshawar Raheelah Amin Department of Community Medicine, Khyber Girl's Medical College, Peshawar. Email: raheelahamin@yahoo.com Abstract Objectives: To identify the pattern and causes of making contraceptive choices among females attending family planning centre in Peshawar, Pakistan. Methods: The simple observational study based on convenient sampling was conducted at the family planning centre of Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, from October to December, 2010. Included were 104 females who were asked about their contraceptive use and the reason for their decisions. The variable used for contraceptive choices, included effectiveness (against preventing pregnancy), easy availability, side effects of the method, general health issues, cost factor and permanence of the method. Results: It was found that 49 (46.7%) females were currently using injectables; 18 (17.1%) pills; 18 (17.1%) IUDs; 19 (10.5%) tubal ligation; and 9 (8.6%) condoms. The major causes for making the choices were effectiveness (n=32; 30.5%); easy availability (n=19; 18.1%); side effects (n=11; 10.5%); reproductive tract infections (n=3; 2.9%); and cost factor (n=2; 1.9%). Respondents who choose more than one reason were 23.8% (n=25). It was observed that 60% (n=63) of respondents were first-time users, while the rest gave history of using some method in the past. Out of this proportion, pills and barrier method were used in most patients. Among the illiterate group of 35 (55.2%) respondents, 18 (28.6%) chose injectables; 6 (9.5%) chose IUCDs; and 6 (9.5%) tubal ligation. Similarly, 13 (20%) respondents from poor socio-economic group and 15 (22.9%) respondents from the middle group chose injectables. Conclusions: When given choices and balanced information about contraceptives, more women are likely to continue the method. Respondents from the lower socioeconomic and illiterate group chose injectables in high proportion due to their effectiveness and easy availability. Side effects of the method and health concerns were less considered, while the cost factor was the least considered. Keywords: Contraception, Family planning services, Health service delivery. (JPMA 62: 1023; 2012) Original Article