Family Planning practices among the parents of beta thalassemia major patients in Makran division, Balochistan: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of family planning practice among the parents of children affected with beta thalassemia major (BTM) and to determine the relationship between various factors and family planning practice in Makran division Balochistan. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 190 parents having BTM children registered in thalassemia care centers throughout the Makran division from May 2023 to October 2023. The structured questionnaire was used and data was collected using the non-probability convenience technique. SPSS 20 was used for analysis. Results: A total of 190 parents were interviewed and only 111 (58.42%) couples were practicing family planning. A significant relation was found between Family planning and monthly income, religious belief, parents with more than three children, and different districts of the Makran division. (p<0.05) The most common methods of contraception used by participating couples were oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) (18.4%) followed by barriers (16.8%). The predominant reason for not practicing family planning was the desire to have more children and religious beliefs. Conclusion: The religious beliefs, economic status of the family, area of residence, and total number of children play a significant role in family planning practices among the parents of children affected with BTM.