Social change and family planning in Kenya.

Kenya has one of the highest fertility rates in the world. The rate of total fertility stood at 8 per woman in the early 1980s up from 6.5 in the 1960s and 1970s despite the existence of family planning programs since the 1950s. Although there was a higher level of acceptance of birth control methods over the period the practice of traditional birth spacing methods waned. The author considers the dynamic relationship between social change and population policy and offers suggestions for improving existing policies. The importance of improving womens status and addressing the problem of providing adequate health care to provide a sustainable basis for family planning policies is stressed. Suggestions are made for several programs in this regard with critical assessment of factors of cultural dimension and influence upon existing power structure.