You generally think that you are a logical person and you hardly think wrong… but this doesn’t seem right all the time. There is a big difference between your thinking capacity and God’s hidden power in terms of family planning. I realized this more than once. Let’s take a quick look at my own story first.
My Story: At the time of my birth, our family had hardly enough economic stability to afford me. They often failed to feed my younger brother, so they couldn’t allow me to see the earth’s light. I heard especially from my grandmother many times that my father, who was a diligent man, gave 200 taka (in late 1999) and told my mother to abort me. But God had a better plan; my mother eventually spent that 200 taka, and I was in my mom’s womb and about to be born. The main part starts here: today, I am the better son of our parents. From the beginning, I gave them less suffering than my brother. In all aspects, like social acceptance, educational achievement, and parental satisfaction, I am far better than my brother. This small story is not for my appraisal; rather, it is a realization for me that those who did not want to bring me into this world are now quite proud of me, although I have not achieved something big yet. Sometimes, we are not ready for another new child, but I believe God has a different, pleasant plan for them.
I Witnessed: Another story of my cousin gave me the same experience. My cousin, who is a Sub Assistant Engineer in BPDB, initially refused his second child when his wife already conceived. They had hours of conversation almost every night about whether they could somehow afford a newcomer at that time. Today, in 2024, they have a happy and beautiful four-member family. The second child is a son, while the first one is a girl. When I visit their home occasionally, I often hear that the second child has become the heart of my cousin.
I know not all stories have the same situation, but still, you have to rely on God as God knows the hidden things. In our modern world, it has become common to abort a child just because we think we can’t feed them and fail to give them a good life while we don’t know the future. Again, this outcome doesn’t apply to all. When you calculate your life with strong logic, you might ignore spiritual power. But there is something you have to admire: not all unpredictable things are in human hands or run by our logic. This article is written especially for those who think they are always right with their logic and don’t have faith in God or their luck. You might be a person from a specific region, but you will likely encounter this type of situation as a human when you become a parent. Again, you should not avoid a living being just because of your limited logic and thinking.
Again, family planning and unintended maternal mortality are closely related. Here are some global perspectives:
Examples and Statistics:
- Access to contraception can reduce maternal deaths by preventing unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. The WHO estimates that meeting the global need for contraception could prevent 70,000 maternal deaths annually.
- In countries with high contraceptive use, maternal mortality rates are generally lower. For example, in Bangladesh, increased use of contraceptives has significantly contributed to the reduction in maternal mortality from 574 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 173 in 2017.
- Side Effects: The risk of venous thromboembolism (blood clots) is three to four times higher in women using combined oral contraceptives compared to non-users.
- Access Issues: The Guttmacher Institute estimates that 218 million women in developing countries who want to avoid pregnancy are not using modern contraceptives.
- Cultural Opposition: In Nigeria, 20% of women cited religious reasons for not using family planning methods.
- Economic Barriers: In Kenya, 15% of women cited cost as a reason for not using contraceptives.