Pak. J. Agri. Sci., Vol. 45(3), 2008 65 INFLUENCE OF WOMEN HEALTH CARE ADOPTION ON CONTRACEPTIVE USE Saif-ur-Rehman Saif Abbasi 1 , Muhammad Iqbal Zafar 2 , Zahira Batool 3 , Muhammad Aslam 4 and Izhar Ahmad Khan 5 1 Department of Sociology, International Islamic University, Islamabad 2&3 Department of Rural Sociology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 4 District Headquarter Hospital, Faisalabad 5 Department of Sociology, GCU, Faisalabad The effect of women heath seeking behaviour during pregnancy and post delivery period on contraceptive use and family size are important dimensions of female fertility. These determinants of female fertility have rarely been explored, particularly in developing countries confronting problems of rising population growth. A study was conducted in district Faisalabad, Pakistan to explore the influence of pre and postnatal care on contraceptive use. A random sample of 1051 married women was studied from the urban and rural areas of the district through formal survey. It was found that contraceptive use is associated with pre- and postnatal care. Minimum of 5-7 prenatal and at least 2 postnatal visits have been identified as effective to promote contraceptive use. Involvement of health professionals, motivation through mass media and improved access to health care services during the period of pregnancy and after childbirth are the measures suggested to enhance contraceptive use in the society to curtail family size. Keywords: Prenatal care, postnatal care, contraceptives, ever use INTRODUCTION Woman visit to physician or other health care providers for medical supervision of the pregnancy constitutes prenatal care (National Center for Health Statistics, 1987). It provides the opportunity for regular consultation from health personnel and laboratory examination during the period of pregnancy. The professionals consistently monitor health and nutritional status and extend timely advice to women who are preparing to give birth. Any complication is handled before it turns dangerous to the life of mother or fetus. The postnatal care on the other hand is essential for the health of mother and infant during post delivery period. Empirical evidences suggest that in addition to health benefits, pre- and postnatal cares are important for increasing awareness about the significance of modern birth control technology (Sai and Measham, 1992 and Palaniappan, 1995). During these specialized care, learning of woman from the fellow women visiting clinic and health experts broaden their vision and knowledge about safe motherhood practices (Zafar, 1993). These collectively strengthen their will to avoid unintended pregnancy through contraceptive practice. This ultimately influences the number of children in the family and even promotes birth control measures among relatives and peer group. Moreover, health professional advice regarding birth interval or termination of subsequent fertility further strengthens their will about family planning adoption (James, 1999). An institutional effort directed to explore the influence of hearth care on family planning use documented that increase in the use of modern contraceptive among currently married women by 24 percent, resulted 15 percent reduction in fertility in Ghana in a period of five years (Population Council, 2003). Similarly, a recent evidence in this regard revealed that women better health care adoption increased their knowledge about birth control methods and caused contraceptive prevalence rate to climb up from 10 to 40 percent (Huasi, 2006). The long period of abstinence from the sexual relation in the last period of pregnancy and after childbirth increases the risk of resumption soon after the postpartum amenorrhea. Awareness and knowledge about modern birth control technology obtained through prenatal care may prepare mothers for its adoption during postnatal care especially, when the potential risk is approaching very fast. However, the lower or lack of such specialized healthcare may limit awareness and use of contraceptives. It ultimately leads to increase the family size through unintended pregnancies and births (Abbasi, 2006). Though, research suggested the positive influence of healthcare on women contraceptive behaviour but the existing literature provides little evidence regarding the effect of prenatal and postnatal care on contraceptive use. Similarly, rare evidence identified the minimum required level of such specialized care to influence female fertility through family planning use. The current effort is to study the